‘Aerial metagenomics’ best refers to which one of the following situations?
[amp_mcq option1=”Collecting DNA samples from air in a habitat at one go” option2=”Understanding the genetic makeup of avian species of a habitat” option3=”Using air-borne devices to collect blood samples from moving animals” option4=”Sending drones to inaccessible areas to collect plant and animal samples from land surfaces and water bodies” correct=”option1″]
This question was previously asked in
UPSC IAS – 2023
Metagenomics is the study of the collective genetic material (DNA and RNA) from a community of organisms in an environmental sample, bypassing the need to isolate and culture individual species. “Aerial” refers to the air. Therefore, “aerial metagenomics” is the technique of collecting samples from the air (which contains DNA from airborne microorganisms like bacteria, fungi, viruses, pollen, spores, environmental DNA from insects, etc.) and analyzing the extracted genetic material to understand the biodiversity and composition of the airborne biome in a specific habitat at a particular time.