Fight Against Illegal Poaching and Trafficking

Illegal poaching and trafficking in endangered species is a crime that involves billions of dollars annually. In 2012, Google Giving announced the first seven Global Impact Awards, including a $3 million grant to the Smithsonian Institution for the Barcode of Wildlife Project. The Consortium for the Barcode of Life (CBOL), an international initiative hosted by the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., is leading the project.

The biodiversity-rich countries that are partners in the project will be using DNA barcodes from tissue samples of endangered plants and animals. These barcodes, a snippet of DNA sequence taken from a standardized portion of the genome, will be collected and used by the project to identify species in the investigation and prosecution of wildlife crimes.

FLUIDX is working with the project and with the Smithsonian to bring DNA research and technology into the fight against illegal poaching and species trafficking. FLUIDX Jacket™ cryovials will be used to store frozen tissue and DNA of endangered species of plants and animals in the project’s partner countries. The vials will ensure the safe storage of these valuable reference voucher specimens, some of which may be used to support the prosecution of accused wildlife criminals.

As an innovator in sample storage and tracking, FLUIDX is proud to be working with the Smithsonian to promote species conservation and the use of innovation and technology in support of this goal.