Conserving biodiversity starts with understanding the genetic foundations of the plants we aim to protect. Yet a basic step—measuring genome size—has long been limited by logistics: flow cytometry tr$
In our recent study, we developed and validated a protocol to measure plant genome size using frozen samples. With careful handling, frozen leaf tissue yields nuclei that are just as reliable for gen$
Why this matters
🌱 Biodiversity conservation Endangered plants are often found in fragile or hard-to-reach habitats. Being able to freeze a small sample in situ and analyze it later reduces pressure on vulnerable populations and makes ethically r$
🌳 Ecological restoration Genome size correlates with traits like growth rate, seed biology, stress tolerance, and ecological strategies. Ready access to genome size data helps practitioners select and manage species for rest$
🧬 Plant science & genomics Frozen material can do double duty: the same sample used for genome sizing can also yield high-quality DNA for long-read sequencing. That streamlines fieldwork and lab workflows—especially when t$
🌍 Evolutionary biology Variation in genome size is intertwined with adaptation and diversification. Making frozen samples viable expands the geographic and taxonomic breadth of studies, filling gaps in our understanding of pla$
The takeaway
By removing the “fresh tissue only” bottleneck, this protocol extends the reach of biodiversity genomics—from remote rainforests to alpine zones and beyond—while reducing impact on threatened species$
📖 Full paper: *A Flow Cytometry Protocol for Measurement of Plant Genome Size