Ultrafast PCR Test Identifies Lookalike Sea Squirts in Under an Hour

Researchers in South Korea have developed an ultrafast DNA test that can distinguish two nearly identical sea squirt species in as little as 50 minutes. The method, developed at the National Institute of Food and Drug Safety Evaluation and published in Food Science and Biotechnology, compared conventional PCR, real-time PCR, and an ultrafast real-time PCR platform to identify Styela clava and Styela plicata, both edible tunicates important in East Asian seafood markets. The challenge is that cleaning, salting, peeling, brining, or freezing can erase visual cues used by regulators and buyers, raising the risk of substitution. The new approach uses species-specific primers targeting mitochondrial genes ND5 and COI, aiming to verify species even in processed products.