The “Barcode Blitz”: accelerating the targeted capture of barcode data

John La Salle, Beth MantleCSIRO Ecosystem Sciences, Canberra, Australia

Jeff Webb, Rodolphe Rougerie, Paul HebertBiodiversity Institute of Ontario, Guelph Canada

The “Barcode Blitz” - ANIC Lepidoptera

• A coordinated assault for targeted and priority capture of barcode data on ANIC Lepidoptera

• Has shown it is possible to gather large amounts of data quickly

• Built a substantive library for a megadiverse group at continental scale in a short time frame

• Fits into / supports• Large scale digitisation efforts• Research outcomes• Operational outcomes• Rapid species discovery

The “Barcode Blitz”

Two visits from BIO / Guelph team to ANIC

5 people x 5 weeks each

Jaclyn McCormick Paul Hebert

Jayme Sones Rodolphe Rougerie

Stephanie deWaard Jeff Webb

Cirsty Carr Jeremy deWaard

Renee Labbee Patrick Strutzenberger

Valerie Levesque-Beaudin Mari Kekkonen

The “Barcode Blitz”

• In 10 weeks

• 28,000 specimens processed• 8,000 species • Databased, geocoded, imaged on site• Leg taken• Sequenced in Canada

Assembly line processing

Assembly line processing

Selecting specimens

• Multiple specimens per OTU

Selecting specimens

• From collection to array box

Specimens into array boxes

• Each space numbered

• Aligns with number of wells in lysis plate

• Position of every specimen taken from collection marked

Specimens databased and geocoded

Specimens into processing boxes

• Specimens labelled as they are processed

• BOLD label

• ANIC label

Every specimen photographed

Leg removed for barcoding

• Each lysis plate gets unique label that ties it back to array box

Specimens back to collection

• Specimens returned to exactly where they were taken

The “Barcode Blitz”

• In 10 weeks

• 28,000 specimens processed• 8,000 species • Databased, geocoded, imaged on site• Uploaded to BOLD within 24 hours• Leg taken• Sequenced in Canada

The “Barcode Blitz” - what did we achieve

Despite an average age of 30 years, COI sequences were recovered from more than 95% of the specimens

The “Barcode Blitz” - what did we achieve

Provided the first continent-wide data set for a megadiverse insect group in Australia within a short period of time (about 90% of named Lepidoptera)

Provides a model for inclusion in other initiatives aimed at the high-throughput accumulation of priority data sets.

Establishes the great value of existing natural history collections as a basis for fast tracking the development of comprehensive DNA barcode libraries.

Despite popular opinion …

The “Barcode Blitz” - Australian benefits

•Digital records in ANIC, ALA, BOLD

(28,000 databased, geocoded, imaged specimens)

The “Barcode Blitz” - results

• What did we achieve

The “Barcode Blitz” - results

• What did we achieve

The “Barcode Blitz” - Australian benefits

• ANIC barcoding blitz activity is our clearest and most positive example of an accelerated and serious attempt to digitise a significant representative sample of a national collection.

• Presenting the results in their fullness (including the capability of this process to highlight the range of undescribed diversity) would be a key element in a case to support a major national digitisation activity

One example of international benefit

• A message from South Africa

“Note that the mitochondrion sequences we obtained from the groundnut leaf miner in South Africa matched 100% with the soybean moth Approaerema simplexella PS1 from Australia on the BOLD system, and that is the reason we are interested in the soybean moth in Australia.”

The “Barcode Blitz” - Australian benefits

• A searchable digital library for Australian Lepidoptera (including images and barcoding)

• Foundation for a variety further studies• Facilitate identification• Able to connect life histories• Informs systematics, biodiversity, biosecurity

• Foundation for Rapid Taxonomy efforts

Rapid Taxonomy of Australian Xylorictidae

Generations of investment in morphology (through putative species sorted in the collection)

Estimated 250 new species – with most of them already sorted to morphospecies

Rapid Taxonomy of Australian Xylorictidae

• Group with no active specialist (last description in 1964) – no revisions on horizon.

• Other major museums have made types of Australian xylorictids available for barcoding/study

• Become a project for Patrick Strutzenberger (PhD student, Guelph)• DNA barcodes will be used to verify/validate morphospecies in

collection• Produce standardized descriptions + images + barcodes (?plus

genitalia)• Can progress taxonomic knowledge of this group rapidly

• GOAL: 250 species described in 2 years, with 100 done by this time next year

Accelerated Species Discovery

taxonomist Accelerated phenomics

Accelerated DNA

Accelerated species discovery and

description

Crowdsourcing citizen

scientists

Contact UsPhone: 1300 363 400 or +61 3 9545 2176

Email: enquiries@csiro.au Web: www.csiro.au

Thank you

Funding:Genome CanadaCSIRO Transformational Biology

Bio Team from Guelph:Jaclyn McCormick Rodolphe Rougerie

Jayme Sones Jeff Webb

Stephanie deWaard Jeremy deWaard

Cirsty Carr Patrick Strutzenberger

Renee Labbee Mari Kekkonen

Valerie Levesque-Beaudin