Genomics Core Lab Members Present at Mariana Islands Conservation Conference

3/13/2025

Genomics Core Lab members presented at the Mariana Islands Conservation Conference (MICC). The MICC was held in Guam from March 10th - 14th.

Avery Richardson, LSAMP scholar, kicked off the GCL presentations. Her research work includes designing primers to detect the presence of Rota Blue Damselfly (RBD), or Dulalas luta (Ischnura luta), DNA in water samples. To do this, she uses serial dilutions with qPCR to find the detection limit for RBD DNA.

Next was Sharon Magnuson, GCL Lab Manager. She presented on the importance of locus selection and PCR optimization for using eDNA to identify the ecological associations of the Dulalas luta. This includes testing different annealing temperatures, polymerases, and presence/absence of Unique Molecular Identifiers (UMIs).

Next, Coralynn Coapland, LSAMP scholar, presented on the evolutionary origins of the Dulalas luta. Through DNA barcoding of several loci (COI, 16S, 28S, etc) she is able to compare the DNA sequences of the RBD with other damselflies and create a series of phylogenetic trees.

Lasty, Kevin Labrador, graduate research assistant, presented on techniques and implications for extracting eDNA directly from preservatives.