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Updated: Feb 8, 2026
13:03
Robust DNA Isolation and High-throughput Sequencing Library Construction for Herbarium Specimens
Published on: March 8, 2018
11.1K
Genome skimming herbarium specimens for DNA barcoding and phylogenomics
Chun-Xia Zeng1, Peter M Hollingsworth2, Jing Yang1
11Germplasm Bank of Wild Species, Kunming Institute of Botany, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, 650201 Yunnan China.
Plant Methods
|June 22, 2018
Summary
Next-generation sequencing enables routine recovery of nuclear rDNA and plastid genome sequences from ancient herbarium specimens. This cost-effective method, genome skimming, works with degraded DNA and minimal sample destruction.
Area of Science:
- Genomics
- Molecular Biology
- Botany
Background:
- Herbaria house millions of plant specimens, valuable for research but historically inaccessible for genetic studies due to DNA degradation.
- Traditional methods struggle with extracting and amplifying degraded DNA from old specimens.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of routine DNA sequencing from herbarium specimens using next-generation sequencing (NGS).
- To evaluate genome skimming as a method for recovering genetic information from historical plant samples.
Main Methods:
- Sequencing of 25 herbarium specimens (up to 80 years old) from 16 angiosperm families using paired-end reads.
- Application of genome skimming to recover nuclear rDNA and plastid genome sequences.
Main Results:
- Successful recovery of plastid genome sequences for 23 species and nuclear rDNA for 24 species.
- Demonstrated that genome skimming can yield genomic data from 80-year-old specimens with as little as 500 pg of degraded DNA.
Conclusions:
- Routine plastome sequencing from herbarium specimens is feasible and cost-effective.
- Genome skimming offers a viable approach for genetic studies on historical plant samples with minimal specimen destruction.
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