ClayMED

Environmental DNA refers to the genetic material left behind by both living and deceased organisms in their surrounding environment. This novel non-invasive technique of monitoring species and population has received a boost from the advancement of the next-generation sequencers. Nevertheless, the success of this method is determined by the quantity and quality of the extracted DNA. It appears that DNA preservation is most effective in terrestrial environments containing clay minerals, which provide the necessary protection from the biotic and abiotic degradation in these environments. However, clay minerals may also be responsible for the difficulty in extracting DNA from soil and sediment samples. Clay mineral-rich environments could potentially serve as valuable libraries of present and past biodiversity. Their efficient exploitation would provide a strong rationale for the development of conservation policies. The ClayMED project aims to elucidate the role of clay minerals in the preservation and extraction of environmental DNA. We will examine the impact of structural heterogeneities at the mineral level (particle size, charge density, accessibility of interlayers), and at the DNA level (length of DNA fragments, single and double strands), in addition to the physicochemical conditions at the interface between these DNA strands and clay minerals. This exploration will enable us to replicate a diverse range of natural microenvironments. This contribution is vital for identifying environments that are likely to house considerable amounts of environmental DNA, as well as for developing extraction methods that are suitable for the variety of structures that may form in natural environments.