By Alegria Bautista

Faculty Mentor: Dr. Theresa Grana

Abstract

DNA barcoding has significantly advanced species identification and revealed many cryptic species with significant biomedical and agricultural research applications. Nematodes are frequently used in DNA barcoding due to their short generation times and ease of laboratory maintenance. However, the rapid increase in newly discovered species presents a taxonomic impediment where traditional identification methods struggle to keep pace. In this study, unknown nematode strains underwent a modified Caenorhabditis elegans bleaching protocol to eliminate contamination and accommodate varying developmental stages. DNA was extracted and amplified using polymerase chain reaction (PCR), targeting regions of the 18S ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene. Established primers (18S and 26R) were used alongside primers (UW429 and UW430), which target a different segment of the 18S rRNA gene. The resulting sequences were analyzed using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) for species identification. This research highlights primer design and DNA barcoding as tools for closing the gap between species discovery and classification, offering a solution to taxonomic challenges in nematode research.