Jason Ferrante , Ph.D.
Jason is a biologist in the Conservation Genetics Lab in Gainesville, FL.
Science and Products
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD) Detection in Cervids Using MicroRNA Biomarkers from Blood
WARC scientists are testing and developing methods for the isolation of cervid exosomes from blood samples, followed by microRNA extraction and next generation sequencing.
Efficacy of eDNA as an early detection indicator for Burmese pythons in the ARM Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge in the Greater Everglades Ecosystem
Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection of invasive species can be used to delimited occupied ranges and estimate probabilities to inform management decisions. Environmental DNA is shed into the environment through skin cells and bodily fluids and can be detected in water samples collected from lakes, rivers, and swamps. In south Florida, invasive...
Hunter, Margaret; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Ferrante, Jason; Smith, Brian; Hart, Kristen Improving eDNA yield and inhibitor reduction through increased water volumes and multi-filter isolation techniques
To inform management and conservation decisions, environmental DNA (eDNA) methods are used to detect genetic material shed into the water by imperiled and invasive species. Methodological enhancements are needed to reduce filter clogging, PCR inhibition, and false-negative detections when eDNA is at low concentrations. In the first of three simple...
Hunter, Margaret; Ferrante, Jason; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Ulmer, Amelia A novel technique for isolating DNA from Tempus™ blood RNA tubes after RNA isolation
ObjectiveWe use Tempus blood RNA tubes (Applied Biosystems) during health assessments of American moose (Alces alces spp.) as a minimally invasive means to obtain RNA. Here we describe a novel protocol to additionally isolate high-quality DNA from the supernatant remaining after the RNA isolation methodology. Metrics used to qualify DNA...
Ferrante, Jason A.; Giles, Michelle R.; Benzie, Emily; Hunter, Margaret Surveys of environmental DNA (eDNA): a new approach to estimate occurrence in Vulnerable manatee populations
Environmental DNA (eDNA) detection is a technique used to non-invasively detect cryptic, low density, or logistically difficult-to-study species, such as imperiled manatees. For eDNA measurement, genetic material shed into the environment is concentrated from water samples and analyzed for the presence of target species. Cytochrome...
Hunter, Margaret; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Ferrante, Jason A.; Takoukam Kamla, Aristide; Dorazio, Robert; Keith Diagne, Lucy; Luna, Fabia; Lanyon, Janet M.; Reid, James P. Development and validation of quantitative PCR assays to measure cytokine transcript levels in the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostris)
Cytokines have important roles in the mammalian response to viral and bacterial infections, trauma, and wound healing. Because of early cytokine production after physiologic stresses, the regulation of messenger RNA (mRNA) transcripts can be used to assess immunologic responses before changes in protein production. To detect and assess early...
Ferrante, Jason A.; Hunter, Margaret; Wellehan, James F.X. Detection limits of quantitative and digital PCR assays and their influence in presence-absence surveys of environmental DNA
A set of universal guidelines is needed to determine the limit of detection (LOD) in PCR-based analyses of low concentration DNA. In particular, environmental DNA (eDNA) studies require sensitive and reliable methods to detect rare and cryptic species through shed genetic material in environmental samples. Current strategies for assessing...
Hunter, Margaret; Dorazio, Robert M.; Butterfield, John S.; Meigs-Friend, Gaia; Nico, Leo; Ferrante, Jason A.