![\"\"](\"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/iStock-494855485.jpg\")
<\/figure>What is a DNA chip?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n A DNA chip \u2013 also known as a biochip \u2013 looks like a microscope slide (glass, silicon or plastic). It holds pieces of DNA from a species. When you place a DNA sample into the chip, it can determine if the sample contains DNA from the species in question. In this case, the DNA chip will be able to identify the three caribou ecotypes, making it easier for wildlife conservation officers to do their job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat\u2019s novel about our project is that there was no caribou biochip before. In fact, there are very few biochips for wildlife, even though the technology has been used for a while in humans, mice and farm animals,\u201d explains Claude Robert, a researcher at the Department of Animal Science at Universit\u00e9 Laval.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To ensure the biochip\u2019s efficiency, researchers are trying to identify unique DNA regions for each of the three caribou ecotypes. This process is underway and should be completed in April 2019. \u201cWe\u2019ll probably end up finding millions of differences among each of the caribou groups. The challenge is to choose the genetic signature unique to each one,\u201d adds Claude Robert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The team is also working on a Web portal, which will facilitate the interpretation of results obtained with the biochip. \u201cBiologists will be able to download the data generated with the tool and then send them to our Website, which will then make the genetic analysis,\u201d says Claude Robert. It will be possible to know the origin and genetic variety of each sample. This information will provide an accurate picture of the status of the caribou. One thousand samples, collected by the MFFP since the early 2000s and already catalogued, will be used to develop the biochip. \u201cWe\u2019ll be able to just take a fragment of flesh, hair or skin from the animal and use the biochip to identify its ecotype. The tool will be tremendously useful in many areas of our work involving the protection, management and conservation of various groups of caribou in Qu\u00e9bec,\u201d says Jo\u00eblle Taillon, biologist and researcher in charge of studying the three types of caribou ecotypes for the MFFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n DNA chip serving justice<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n The caribou DNA chip is expected on the market in April 2020. MFFP researchers already see the potential for this tool, which will be used to identify caribou, but also support wildlife conservation officers during their investigations. For instance, the information provided by the biochip could be used as evidence in court in poaching cases. The woodland and mountain caribou have a special legal protection in Qu\u00e9bec, making it all the more important to identify the individual\u2019s ecotype. \u201cWhen they get to a butchering site, wildlife conservation officers sometimes come across an entire carcass, but often they find only part of a carcass or traces of hair or blood. In this situation, they must be able to accurately determine the caribou ecotype involved, since the rules and regulations vary depending on each group,\u201d explains Vicky Albert, biologist and head of the forensic lab at the MFFP.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A genetic tool could play an important role in protecting the caribou, a wildlife speciesand national symbol, whose population is in decline. In Qu\u00e9bec, the status of caribou populations is…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":23318,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-24017","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24017","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24017"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24017\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":24019,"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/24017\/revisions\/24019"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/23318"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24017"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
Example of DNA chip<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The technology will join the range of tools already used to monitor caribou populations.<\/p>\n<\/div>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/genomequebec.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Caribou-riv-George.jpg\")
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Given that caribou can also be found in different Arctic regions of Europe and Russia, researcher Claude Robert would like foreign biologists to also have the chance to use the DNA chip to protect caribou on their territory.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n![\"caribou\"](\"https:\/\/www.genomequebec.com\/DATA\/TEXTEDOC\/Image%20accueil%20carrousel.jpg\" "\\"caribou-genomics\\"\/")
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