Linda Handal successfully defended her Master’s thesis in the Biotechnology program at the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability (PIBS) on Friday, September 20, 2024. Her thesis, titled “Biodiversity Assessment of Wetlands in Palestine Using Environmental DNA (eDNA) Metabarcoding,” was supervised by Prof. Mazin Qumsiyeh, with Dr. Omar Dar Issa as the internal supervisor and Dr. Issa Musa as the external supervisor.
Linda’s research project was funded by a grant awarded to PIBS by the Royal Society for the “British and Palestine Museum Collaboration in Research, Education, and Conservation” project, in partnership with the Natural History Museum in London.
The primary aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of eDNA analysis in Palestine. Demonstrating its efficacy could provide a cost-effective and efficient means for tracking and monitoring biodiversity, eliminating the need for taxonomic expertise or extensive manual labor.
This research has significant implications, as it offers an innovative and affordable approach to biodiversity monitoring that could revolutionize conservation strategies. Furthermore, it emphasizes the crucial role of the Palestine Institute for Biodiversity and Sustainability in the biological sciences and underscores the urgent need to protect Palestine’s unique ecosystems.
