New ‘Crime Scene Investigation’ May Save Endangered Carnivorous Plants
Published:19 Apr.2022    Source:Curtin University

Researchers have combined macro photography with DNA metabarcoding to create a new botanical "CSI" tool that may hold the key to safeguarding the future of Australia's critically endangered carnivorous plants.

 
The new technology -- developed by researchers from Curtin University, the Botanical and Zoological Natural History Collections in Munich and the University of Munich -- enables experts to take a sophisticated look inside the stomachs of carnivorous plants, overcoming a hurdle that had previously stumped entomologists.