Shining a LAMP on the applications of isothermal amplification to monitoring illegal wildlife trade

Abstract

Environmental biosecurity risks associated with the Illegal Wildlife Trade (IWT) include the loss of biodiversity, threats to public health, and the proliferation of invasive alien species. To assist enforcement agencies in identifying trafficked species, rapid forensic techniques enable the detection of trace Environmental DNA (eDNA) where physical identification is not possible. Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification (LAMP) is an emerging technique with recent applications in biosecurity and forensic sciences, and with potential to function as a field-based detection tool. Here we provide an overview of current research that applies LAMP to human and wildlife forensic science, including identification of ornamental wildlife parts, consumer products, and invasive species monitoring and biosecurity detection. We discuss the current scope of LAMP as applied to various wildlife crime scenarios and biosecurity checkpoint monitoring, highlight the specificity, sensitivity, and robustness for these applications, and review the potential utility of LAMP for rapid field-based detection within the IWT. Based on our assessment of the literature we recommend broader interest, research, and investment in LAMP as an appropriate field-based species detection method for a wide range of environmental biosecurity scenarios.