eDNA Probe Kit for Non-Contact Tracking of Yangtze Sturgeon
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for tracking the behavior trajectory of Acipenser dabryanus dumeril, such as fishing nets, PIT markers, sonar markers, and DNA markers, are harmful, costly, or inefficient, and do not provide comprehensive data on the fish population's behavior, distribution, and habitat preference.
Innovation Solution
A probe method-based kit using specific primers and a Taqman fluorescent probe for non-contact tracking of Acipenser dabryanus dumeril, involving DNA collection and concentration testing in water samples, to determine the fish's behavior trajectory.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional tracking methods (fishing nets, PIT markers, sonar markers) are used to track Acipenser dabryanus dumeril, then direct and effective tracking data can be obtained, but the methods are harmful to fish populations, costly, and laborious
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses environmental DNA as an intermediary substance to track fish populations. Instead of directly interacting with the fish (which causes harm), the method detects DNA shed into the environment through water sampling and eDNA extraction, thereby obtaining tracking data without harmful contact with the fish populations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces mechanical tracking methods (fishing nets, physical markers) with a biochemical detection system. By substituting mechanical interaction with molecular detection of environmental DNA, the system achieves effective tracking while eliminating the harmful mechanical impacts on fish populations
2Measurement precision
If PIT markers or DNA markers are placed in fish bodies to track behavior trajectory, then individual fish can be marked and tracked, but marked fish bodies account for a small proportion of released fish bodies, resulting in omission of testing and very little collected available data
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the tracking function from individual fish bodies and transfers it to the environmental medium. By collecting and analyzing eDNA from water samples across multiple locations, the method obtains data representing the entire fish population rather than just marked individuals, thereby eliminating the limitation of small sample proportion
Solution Approach 2:
The environmental DNA detection system serves as a universal tracking method that can detect all fish individuals in the population simultaneously, regardless of whether they carry markers. This multi-functional approach provides both presence/absence data and distribution information for the entire population
3Loss of information
If sonar markers are used to record activity process of Acipenser dabryanus dumeril in the Yangtze river, then comprehensive activity data can be obtained, but a plurality of sonar signal receivers need to be arranged along the river, which is costly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a simplified copy of the tracking function by detecting DNA traces in environmental samples rather than using complex sonar systems. By collecting water samples at strategic locations and analyzing eDNA in a laboratory setting, the method achieves population distribution tracking without requiring extensive deployment of expensive sonar receivers along the river
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses inexpensive water sampling and eDNA extraction as a temporary but effective tracking solution. Rather than investing in permanent, expensive sonar infrastructure, the method employs affordable, disposable sampling approaches that can be conducted at multiple locations without significant cost
4Measurement precision
If conventional fishing net methods are used to investigate distribution range of fish species, then direct and effective distribution data can be obtained, but the method is harmful to fish populations and laborious and time consuming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces time-consuming mechanical sampling (fishing nets requiring deployment, retrieval, and processing) with biochemical detection of environmental DNA. By collecting water samples and analyzing eDNA in the laboratory, the method obtains distribution range data more efficiently without the labor-intensive field operations required by conventional fishing methods
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method provides comprehensive and representative data on the behavior trajectory of the entire fish population without harming the fish or other aquatic organisms, saving time and resources, and avoiding device limitations.
Implementation Method 1
a Taqman fluorescent probe having a 5' terminal connected with a fluorophore FAM and a 3' terminal connected with a quencher BHQ
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed are a probe method-based kit and method for tracking a behavior trajectory of Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril released upstream of the Yangtze River. By analyzing mitochondrial DNA sequences of Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril and common fish species in the Yangtze River basin, a pair of specific primers ND5-F4/ND5-R4 capable of specifically amplifying mitochondrial DNAs of Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril and a Taqman fluorescent probe ND5 Probe 4 are designed and screened. A kit composed of the specific primers, the Taqman fluorescent probe, and a ddPCR master mix is used to carry out ddPCR testing on environmental DNA samples collected before and after release, so that a behavior trajectory of the released Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril can be tracked and monitored, achieving "non-contact" tracking of the behavior trajectory of the released Acipenser dabryanus Dumeril, avoiding damage to fish bodies in the tracking process, leading to reduced tracking costs and improved accuracy of overall tracking.