Work

An experimental study on HRM combined with multiplex PCR for the identification of single and mixed diatom species

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Diatoms are research subjects in both ecological environments and forensic science. The identification of mixed diatom samples has always been a challenging issue. Multiplex polymerase chain reaction-high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM) provides a potential solution, but the effectiveness of this method in analyzing single and mixed diatom samples remains unclear. This study focuses on eight species of marine diatoms, identifying and designing corresponding primers to preliminarily explore the HRM technique combined with multiplex PCR for species identification of marine diatoms. By using two primer combinations, we achieved rapid identification of single diatoms. The experiments revealed that the HRM technique showed reduced identification capability for mixed diatom samples, whereas the multiplex PCR-HRM technique could enhance the identification accuracy for mixed diatom samples. By using a mixture of three primers, we identified four species of diatoms in mixed samples. This method can improve the identification capability of mixed diatom samples and provides a new approach for diatom species identification.

Source: iScience

DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2026.117909

Authors: Yunchao Zhou, Yiwei Liu, Bin Cong, Jianhua Chen, Jianqiang Deng

Institutions: Hainan Medical University, Hebei Medical University

Language: English

Topic: Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies

Subfield: Ecology

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,240

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China