A Rapid, Equipment-Free DNA Isolation Method for DNA Barcoding.

This rapid, equipment-free DNA isolation procedure using chromatography paper is a simple method that can be performed in less than 30 min and requires no wet lab experience. With minimal expense, it offers an affordable alternative for anyone wanting to explore biodiversity. It also provides an excellent option for use in classrooms or other activities that are time limited.

Simple, Robust Invertebrate DNA Barcoding: Chelex-Based DNA Extraction and Optimized COI Amplification.

Chelex-based DNA extractions are well suited for student DNA barcoding research because they are simple, safe, and inexpensive and can be performed without specialized laboratory equipment, allowing them to be performed in classrooms or at home. Extracted DNA is stable in Chelex solution for at least a week at ambient temperature, allowing collection of DNA samples from remote students. These extractions provide quality DNA for many taxa and are optimal for barcoding invertebrates, especially in combination with novel cytochrome c oxidase I (COI) primer cocktails and PCR cycling conditions.

Analysis of plant-derived carotenoids in camouflaging stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea).

A common way to avoid predators is by use of camouflage, a strategy which the stick and leaf insects (Phasmatodea) have refined by appearing as leaves, sticks, lichen, and moss. Stick and leaf insects have perfected their camouflage by sequestering diet-based carotenoids within their exoskeleton. Visual and chemical details of such camouflage have likely been influenced through the millennia of co-evolution between these insects and the plants they mimic.