title: From barcoding single individuals to metabarcoding biological communities: towards an integrative approach to the study of global biodiversity.
abstract: DNA-based species identification, known as barcoding, transformed the traditional approach to the study of biodiversity science. The field is transitioning from barcoding individuals to metabarcoding communities. This revolution involves new sequencing technologies, bioinformatics pipelines, computational infrastructure, and experimental designs. In this dynamic genomics landscape, metabarcoding studies remain insular and biodiversity estimates depend on the particular methods used. In this opinion article, I discuss the need for a coordinated advancement of DNA-based species identification that integrates taxonomic and barcoding information. Such an approach would facilitate access to almost 3 centuries of taxonomic knowledge and 1 decade of building repository barcodes. Conservation projects are time sensitive, research funding is becoming restricted, and informed decisions depend on our ability to embrace integrative approaches to biodiversity science.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 1B1, Canada. Electronic address: melania.cristescu@mcgill.ca.
authors.forename: Melania E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Cristescu
mesh_terms: D044822:Biodiversity; D058448:Biota / Q000235:genetics; D019295:Computational Biology; D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D058893:DNA Barcoding, Taxonomic; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004247:DNA
keywords: DNA barcoding; environmental DNA (eDNA); metabarcoding; second-generation sequencing; sequence biodiversity; taxonomy crisis