DNA barcoding in an ancient lake

A group of researchers from the Faculty of Biology and Environmental Protection at the University of Łódź, are leading an international team of scientists carrying out a pioneering large-scale study of the biodiversity and evolution of the unique fauna of Europe's oldest lake, over one million years old. The research, based on advanced transcriptomic and metabarcoding methods, takes place within the International Barcode of Life (iBOL) scientific consortium, which includes the Faculty of Biosciences of the University of Łódź and the Polish Barcode of Life (PoLBOL) initiative created there.

One of the tasks carried out is the creation of a reference library of DNA barcodes for aquatic invertebrates inhabiting Lake Ohrid and its environs. This objective is in line with the main motto of the BIOSCAN project: 'Illuminate Biodiversity'.

A film about the ongoing project was published in 2021: