Why is it in the news?

• Researchers at the Laboratory for the Conservation of Endangered Species (LaCONES) developed a new method for assessing total biodiversity.
• LaCONES is a laboratory under the CSIR-Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB).

More about the news

• The method involves sequencing eDNA (Environmental DNA) from samples like water, soil, or air.
• This method allows for non-destructive and non-invasive biological monitoring to assess biodiversity.
• It provides a way to analyse the genetic material present in environmental samples to understand the diversity of species in an ecosystem without direct observation or sampling of organisms.