Researchers tested ITS2 as a complement to the widely used MiFish (12S rRNA) marker - building new #primers and a reference #database across 61 species. ITS2 offered better species-level resolution, especially for Oncorhynchus and Rhinogobius where MiFish struggles. See the full #study here ⤵️

A new study tests an novel approach to #mammal #biodiversity monitoring: #eDNA #metabarcoding from tree stemflow. Sampling trees at a Japanese zoo detected 22 mammal species - with detection rates linked to proximity to #animal enclosures. See the full study here ⤵️ doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

New study finds that #eDNA - a powerful tool for monitoring #aquatic #biodiversity - is being held back by patchy #metadata and poor data standardisation. Authors identify key gaps and call for FAIR, CARE & TRUST principles to unite the field. Full study: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... @embrc.eu

Check out this 12S #rDNA barcode reference library for 152 species of Neotropical electric fishes (Gymnotiformes) - a new #resource for understanding their distributions and dynamics, and a timely one given the #ecological #pressures facing #Neotropical ecosystems 👇 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

🧬🐏 A new DNA marker called OvisCR has recently been developed, which successfully distinguishes domestic sheep from wild European mouflon in predator diet studies. Read more about it: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.10.172476

The first thorough #genetic assessment of the Volga River Basin is here! Researchers #barcoded 84 #fish species, discovering 7 species new to the region (incl. 2 invasives) and 3 new phylogenetic lineages. The Kama River is highlighted as a vital #Pleistocene refuge and Arctic faunal corridor. ⤵️

5,000 #students across Canada help map the secret lives of solitary cavity-nesting #bees and #wasps. 🐝This study used #community #science & #metabarcoding to reveal hidden insect interactions. 👇See what they found here: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... #citizenscience #hymenoptera

See how different #DNA extraction strategies (ComDNA vs. SedDNA) perform for #benthic #meiofauna. This study assesses these strategies using #metazoan #diversity in the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ): doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 (red algae) is hard to classify, but new universal rbcL primer suites developed for Ochrophyta and Rhodophyta, have proven effective for both barcoding and metabarcoding applications for 𝘊𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘢 with strong potential in their application to other species: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

New study sampling West Coast Transient killer whales demonstrates the pertinence of environmental DNA flukeprint sampling for improving understandings of cetacean skin health. Read more here: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.10.174578

🎉Our 2025 Editor's Choice award goes to: "Surface swabs outperform most traditional honeybee (Apis mellifera) hive samples for recovery of eDNA and eRNA" by Erin Hill, Liz Milla, Francisco Encinas-Viso, James O'Dwyer, Ben Gooden, Mariana Hopper, John Roberts. 🔗 mbmg.pensoft.net/news/1075

As 2025 draws to a close, we at Pensoft want to extend our warmest wishes to our editors, reviewers, researchers, partners, and followers. Thank you for being part of our journey this year. Wishing you all a joyful holiday season and a bright start to the new year! 🎄✨

Day three of #BES2025 is underway! Find us at booth L12 in the Lennox Suite.

This baseline study explores meiofauna diversity in Baltic Sea marine protected areas and adjacent reference areas using multi-gene metabarcoding and morphology - key for tracking trawling ban impacts​. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... @sgn.one

Across 21 European lakes, metagenomes and metatranscriptomes reveal different, method-dependent pictures of microbial diversity and environment links, proving that sequencing choice can alter ecological conclusions. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... @unidue.bsky.social

Integrating legume-based green manure and organic amendments in barley cropping systems enhances rhizosphere microbial diversity and resilience, promoting sustainable soil health and productivity. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Come to the Pensoft stand at the Kliments' Days 2025 in Sofia, Bulgaria! Our Marketing and Sales manager @maria-kolesnikova.bsky.social is there to welcome you and tell you all about our open-access journals in biodiversity sciences!

A targeted DNA metabarcoding workflow was developed and validated to identify terrestrial gastropods from the digestive contents of the invasive flatworm 𝑂𝑏𝑎𝑚𝑎 𝑛𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑎𝑟𝑎, revealing diverse prey and improving diet analysis. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

eDNA metabarcoding outperforms traditional electrofishing for monitoring fish and decapod biodiversity in Caribbean freshwater ecosystems, offering a less disruptive, more comprehensive method to detect native and invasive species and assess ecological health. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Stemflow for detecting mammalian environmental DNA: a case study in a zoo. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/arph... @mbmg.pensoft.net

DNA barcoding reference dataset revealed overlooked diversity and clarified biogeography of fishes in the largest European river system – Volga River. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/arph... @mbmg.pensoft.net

Our journal is at #LivingData2025 - looking forward to talking to anyone interested in #metabarcoding and metagenomics!

Taxon-specific mini-barcode primers greatly improve the detection and biodiversity assessment of key marine zooplankton groups, boosting species representation by up to fivefold. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Guidance and best practices for species identification using eDNA metabarcoding - When do you call a cod a cod? 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/arph... @mbmg.pensoft.net

Multiplex PCR sequencing represents a powerful and cost-effective tool for simultaneously detecting multiple aquatic invasive species in the early stages of invasion: doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

"Want to start using Nanopore technology to research protistan diversity? Check out our paper introducing a pipeline for creating OTUs from Nanopore metabarcodes — bridging the gap between short- and long-read metabarcoding." - Anna Karnkowska doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Non-invasive swabbing of hive entrances is a highly effective biomonitoring method for collecting hive eNA and delivering comprehensive surveillance for animal, plant and microbial communities in the environment. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

A 16S rRNA dataset of Las Tablas de Daimiel National Park. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/arph... @mbmg.pensoft.net

Optimised eDNA and PCR-based metabarcoding significantly outperformed hybridisation capture and traditional field surveys for bryophyte detection in river ecosystems. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Researchers present the BaNaNA (Barcoding Nanopore Neat Annotator) pipeline and display the effectiveness of long-read Nanopore sequencing for protist biodiversity, ecology and evolution research. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg... @ankarn.bsky.social @fabnot.bsky.social

DNA metabarcoding identifies more invertebrate species under the Water Framework Directive than conventional methods, showing promise for faster and finer river health monitoring in Slovakia’s Carpathian streams. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Tiina Laamanen @tiinalaamanen.bsky.social cited her MBMG paper on molecular biodiversity monitoring methods as part of her #BGEconnects session on implementing #eDNA and other molecular monitoring methods in Finland!

After more than fourteen years of advancing research on biological invasions, we have published our 100th issue! 🌎 🔗 blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/29/a...

DNA barcoding reveals that the diversity of 𝑁𝑖𝑝ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑔𝑢𝑠 in France is dramatically underestimated. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/zse....

📰 A recent article, supported by our project, was published in Pensoft Publishers' (@pensoft.net) Metabarcoding and Metagenomics journal. 🧬 The study evaluates the TRLs of molecular tools for #monitoring like #eDNA and DNA #metabarcoding. 👀 Full article: mbmg.pensoft.net/article/1308...

The latest guest post on the @pensoft.net blog outlines a new, non-lethal method of studying pollinator networks. 🐝🧬 blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/11/t...

The latest guest post on the @pensoft.net blog outlines a new, non-lethal method of studying pollinator networks. 🐝🧬 blog.pensoft.net/2025/09/11/t...

Using molecular and morphological evidence, researchers present the first occurrences of the non-indigenous diatom species, 𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑎 𝑎𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑜𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑡𝑎 in the Danube River and the earliest occurrence in European freshwater ecosystems. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

🌎 Potential of simple, replicable methods to support long-term #monitoring demonstrated at a workshop of the #Marine #Biodiversity Observation Network Pole to Pole of the Americas that brought together participants from 10 countries earlier this year. 📑 Workshop Report: doi.org/10.3897/rio....

By comparing three strategies for local bioassessments in streams using environmental DNA and RNA metabarcoding, researchers find the most effective strategy is to briefly incubate collected organisms in water then analyse the enriched eDNA. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Researchers utilise DNA metabarcoding to reveal distinct trophic niches among insectivorous bird species in central Peninsular Malaysia, highlighting the need to conserve insect-rich habitats within mixed-use landscapes. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/natu...

Combining culture-based approaches with molecular phylogenetics and eDNA metabarcoding, researchers uncovered two new fungal genera within the Lulworthiales, expanding the known ecological range of this order from marine to terrestrial saline habitats. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/imaf...

Researchers demonstrate the effectiveness of DNA metabarcoding in assessing aquatic invertebrate diversity across an altitudinal gradient in the Tatra Mountains. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

COI barcoding is effective for species identification in 𝑃𝑎𝑐ℎ𝑦𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝𝑠𝑢𝑠 crabs and in unravelling intraspecific patterns indicative of cryptic diversity guiding further taxonomic revisions integrating morphological, genetic and ecological data. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Using light microscopy and metabarcoding, researchers have revealed microalgae diversity in yellowfever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) larvae guts and breeding sites in Thailand, providing potentially valuble information for biocontrol. 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

"Many people think shotgun metagenomes only pick up bacteria, but in fact we detected many vertebrates in marine samples including birds, fish, and mammals! This PCR-free approach may one day be the key to better biodiversity surveys." 🔗 doi.org/10.3897/mbmg...

Excited to share my new study comparing shotgun metagenomes with metabarcoding for detecting eukaryotes in the ocean! Out today in @mbmg.pensoft.net mbmg.pensoft.net/article/1449...

📑Latest addition to the #openscience collection of the #European Reference #Genome Atlas (ERGA, @ergabiodiv.bsky.social) presents a the 1st #genome report for a sun spider (order Solifugae). 🔗 Find the report: doi.org/10.3897/arph... 🔍 Explore the collection to date: doi.org/10.3897/rio....

📸 This week, our consortium at the Bulgarian Barcode of Life, #BgBOL, together with @biogeneurope.bsky.social & @iboleurope.bsky.social, we organised the 1st practical course on #DNAbarcoding & #sequencing, targeted at early-career scientists. ℹ️ Read more about the event: bgbol.org/en/news/prac...

Metabarcoding and Metagenomics has received its first Journal Impact Factor! mbmg.pensoft.net/news/917