Assessing whole-host homogenisation as a new tool for parasite detection and identification.

ABSTRACT: Despite their importance in ecosystem functioning, parasites remain the most neglected components of biodiversity monitoring. This neglect is partly due to the methodological challenges associated with their detection and identification. Current traditional morphological and molecular approaches are time-consuming, labour-intensive, and require specialised expertise. Here, we explore a novel approach of deriving parasite information through whole-host homogenisation followed by DNA-based identification of its parasite biota. Our goal was to validate whether the approach is feasible and if it could become a complementary method for studying parasites, providing a time-efficient solution allowing for a holistic parasite scan with limited taxonomic expertise. To test the method's efficiency,

SUBMITTER: Hupalo K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12818088 | biostudies-literature | 2026

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature