fundamentals of eDNA

While having some degree of familiarity with standard bioinformatics workflows, the various steps involved, and the basics of what they do (if not the fine details), I have been increasingly sold over my time in Maine-eDNA about the merits of assigning ASVs over OTUs, in order to minimise loss of biological variation, and to ensure compatability between studies. In any case, one can always assign OTUs using ASVs further downstream, after all.

While seemingly common-sensical at first glance, what I found especially relevant this week was the importance of securing one’s data, and making as many redundant backups as feasible, and in turn keeping these backups safe. I have yet to lose anything particularly important as of yet, but it was a little frustrating this week trying to find a soft copy of my dive logs, only to realise that the only file I could find on my hard disks, external or otherwise, was about ~150 dives out of date. I do have a paper logbook, but even so, around 30-50 dives were unrecorded on that. Given how cheap and accesible cloud storage is these days (I didn’t even known UMaine students have unlimited capacity, for free), one should have little excuse for backing-up data online, save for non-critical, large files, and subject to the usual security precautions.