Winn McArthur
4/10/2019
Conservation Clues?
Wildlife detectives with the goal to protect endangered species have long been faced with
the near impossible task of collecting DNA samples extremely rare animals. Researchers at
Stanford and the National Centre for Biological Sciences at India’s Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research have been working on a method for extracting genetic clues. The catch is it must be
done fast and cheap and made from scrap materials like feces, skin or saliva. These can also be
found in food products suspected of feeding endangered animals. The proof of existence could
revolutionize conservation strategies and policies around the world. “It’s CSI meets conservation
biology,” said author Dmitri Petrov, the Michelle and Kevin Douglas Professor. The threat of
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