Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is a molecular sampling technology that collects information about organisms using DNA shed by them into their environment. While eDNA holds exciting potential to become an efficient, low-cost, non-invasive ecological monitoring method, a lack of standardization of approaches and purpose-built sampling equipment make it hard to compare results and determine its actual effectiveness across studies. Detection success and accuracy also vary greatly among species and environments, making standardization a challenge.
However, as eDNA moves toward becoming an industry standard method for species detection and management, the equipment is beginning to transition from largely do-it-yourself experimental contraptions to professionally engineered tools. For example, Smith-Root Inc. recently developed the first-ever purpose-built eDNA sampling system, which they call ANDe™. We’re also seeing an expansion of eDNA applications from mainly marine to freshwater and even terrestrial environments, although the latter still requires substantial growth.
As this nascent field develops, it is critical for the conservation tech community to explore and identify how eDNA applies to management needs, and to ensure that continued development meets those needs. Beyond indicating species presence, research so far suggests that eDNA can contribute to conservation by deepening understanding of population dynamics, resource usage, disease presence, invasion pathways of non-native species, and population genetics, to name a few. This indicates that it could be a critical tool for managing imperiled and invasive species.
If you're new to eDNA and genomics, check out our Tech Tutors episode "How Do I Use Portable Genomics in the Field?" featuring Ineke Knot. You'll also find a bank of resources on that page, including a handy glossary of terms in our collaborative notes document!
Does your work involve eDNA and genomics, or are you curious about incorporating this type of technology into your field or lab work? Start a discussion in our group forum!
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Check out this round-up of three of the latest news stories from the conservation tech world. See more conservation tech news by subscribing to our bi-monthly digest.
10 March 2022
This paper explores ground-breaking advances in terrestrial biomonitoring, demonstrating how DNA from terrestrial animals can be collected from the air under natural conditions.
27 January 2022
Check out the new research article "Environmental DNA metabarcoding as a useful tool for evaluating terrestrial mammal diversity in tropical forests." Recently published in Ecological Society of America's Ecological...
6 April 2021
In this news article by Rutherford Discovery Fellow Emma Carroll, we learn about how genomics and satellite data are helping researchers gain a new understanding of southern right whale population recovery, migration...
5 November 2020
Funding
The 2020 Hackaday Prize competition has begun! This year, Conservation X Labs has partnered with the Hackaday Prizes as one of four nonprofits seeking tech-based solutions to urgent challenges. Conservation X Labs'...
26 May 2020
The WILDLABS TECH HUB is supporting technology solutions tackling the illegal wildlife trade, in collaboration with the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, Digital Catapult, Satellite Applications Catapult, Amazon Web...
4 June 2019
In February, we released an open call for the WILDLABS TECH HUB, offering 3 months of support for solutions using technolgy to tackle the illegal wildlife trade. We were overwhelmed by an incredible 37 submissions,...
13 May 2019
Article
A new research project is looking to investigate whether technology combined with the ancient skills and knowledge of Namibian trackers can help save cheetahs from extinction. Called FIT Cheetahs, the research project...
4 December 2017
What makes a good detection dog handler? Is it something that can be taught and learnt over time, or is it something more intuitive? Do some people just have what it takes, and other people don’t? At the start of 2017...
3 November 2017
Welcome to an installment of a new series from the Wildlife Crime Tech Challenge in which we will be sharing updates from their 16 Prize Winners who are working to combat wildlife crime around the globe. Slow lorises...
23 June 2017
Are you ready for this year's #Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge? In anticipation, we're counting down our ten favourite entries from last year. Do you think you can top these?
1 March 2017
The Conservation Leadership Programme (CLP) is a training and capacity building programme that targets individuals from developing countries who are early in their conservation career and demonstrate leadership...
21 November 2016
April 2024
December 2023
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Recently updated products
Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
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Hello everyone, I'm interested in gathering insights on how the behavior of different species impacts the development and efficacy of... |
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Biologging, Acoustics, Camera Traps, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Marine Conservation | 1 month 4 weeks ago | |
Hi everyone. I'm still confused about this. Is it feasible to employ environmental DNA (eDNA) for the detection of two distinct communities... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 2 months 1 week ago | |
Forgot to mention this wildlife drone group - |
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Drones, eDNA & Genomics | 3 months 3 weeks ago | |
Thanks Aude, very useful. Will reach out to them! |
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Early Career, Acoustics, eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools | 4 months 1 week ago | |
Carly, that would be great! Thanks! I work with soundscapes and love the work of Rainforest Connection! I'll send you an email (@CUNY) to coordinate! |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Remote Sensing & GIS | 11 months 2 weeks ago | |
Thanks so much!! |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Community Base, Data management and processing tools, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Open Source Solutions, Remote Sensing & GIS, Software and Mobile Apps | 1 year 7 months ago | |
It is! Here you go: |
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eDNA & Genomics | 1 year 9 months ago | |
@gracieermi & I are happy to announce the latest update to the Conservation Tech Directory, bringing our total resources in the... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Biologging, Camera Traps, Community Base, Data management and processing tools, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Remote Sensing & GIS, Software and Mobile Apps | 1 year 10 months ago | |
Some folks doing work in this space - Wildlife Drones, Conservation Drones, UAV Wild, AfricanDrones, Oceans Unmanned, Geonadir. |
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Drones, AI for Conservation, Citizen Science, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech | 1 year 11 months ago | |
New paper by Héloïse Verdier of LEHNA lab: Passive sampling of environmental DNA in aquatic environments using 3D-printed hydroxyapatite samplers https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 1 year 11 months ago | |
Posting for a labmate. La encuesta está en inglés, pero se ha proporcionado una traducción en español (ver... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 3 years ago | |
Hi Wildlabbers, Ineke's episode is up on our Youtube now! Follow this link or watch it below. You can also find our collaborative notes from this episode here (where you... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 3 years 9 months ago |
Share Your Work in a Conservation Technology Video
17 May 2024 9:06pm
The Inventory User Guide
1 May 2024 12:46pm
Introducing The Inventory!
1 May 2024 12:46pm
3 May 2024 5:33pm
17 May 2024 7:29am
How does behavior influence the use of technology for animal detection ?
22 March 2024 7:49pm
eDNA from terrestrial plant
10 March 2024 8:47am
Workshop: Advances in eDNA for monitoring and ecological studies of marine mammals
14 February 2024 7:25pm
Contrasting strengths of eDNA and electrofishing compared to historic records for assessing fish community diversity and composition
14 February 2024 7:24pm
This study investigated the accuracy of eDNA and electrofishing as alternative methods for assessing diversity.
New DNA tests achieve first convictions for raptor thefts
13 February 2024 7:12pm
eDNA Collaborative: Small Grants Application for Marine eDNA Research
12 February 2024 7:45pm
The eDNA Collaborative is partnering with Experiment to offer $80,000 in small grants to support projects that demonstrate novel approaches in marine eDNA collection, analysis, or application.
Submission Deadline: March 30, 2024
eDNA Innovation Grants
9 February 2024 4:26pm
Rapid onsite DNA test identifies bushmeat at airport
6 February 2024 3:47pm
Using drone or other unmanned vehicle for DNA sampling on fresh elephant dung in a Baï, Congo Rainforest.
29 January 2024 9:44am
30 January 2024 10:30am
I think we can habituate elephant to noise, especially if it's could looks like a natural one.
The problem is that many elephants are concentrated in the baï and if we want to avoid DNA contamination we have to sample it quite fast.
30 January 2024 8:19pm
Hi Antoine,
I would recommend talking to the engineers at Outreach Robotics - @Gcharron .
We have been working on collecting tools for rare plants, and I would guess it wouldn't be a huge adjustment to collect elephant dung. I think the amount of dung required for analysis will drive the size of the collecting drone. Maybe the drone could be up very high to not disturb the elephants with a long line sampling mechanism?
30 January 2024 9:01pm
Forgot to mention this wildlife drone group -
Looking for a Supervisor/Research Group - ML-driven Marine Biomonitoring
3 January 2024 2:05pm
5 January 2024 11:07am
Hi Filippo,
Nice to read your message. Have you thought of contacting anyone in the Bioscience department at UCL? In our group "the People and Nature Lab", a few PhD students (Ben and Jason) are working on ML methods for coral reef monitoring. Might be interesting to reach out to them. List of People at CBER.
Best, Aude
7 January 2024 6:06pm
Thanks Aude, very useful. Will reach out to them!
eDNA Collaborative Microgrants Program!
2 December 2023 8:51pm
This round of microgrants will be awarded in collaboration with miniPCR bio, and each microgrant award will consist of a mini16x thermal cycler, a blueGel electrophoresis system with USB power adaptor, one pipette, and a field carrying case.
AWMS Conference 2023
Biodiversity modelling in the AI era
23 October 2023 12:03pm
PhD Opportunity - Exploring synergies between statistical ecology and statistical genomics
20 October 2023 12:56pm
GEO BON Monitoring Biodiversity for Action
5 October 2023 3:10pm
Conservation Innovation Manager
27 September 2023 11:08pm
eDNA MOOC
22 September 2023 9:13am
CIEEM 2023 Autumn Conference: Modernising Ecology: Techniques and Approaches
5 September 2023 1:59pm
Identifying tundra predators with eDNA
29 August 2023 6:58pm
A new paper shared by Bento Lab on Twitter, focusing on using eDNA to assess population size, territory, and diet for two species of foxes in the Swedish tundra. This workflow can also apply to eDNA work identifying other predators in different environments.
#Tech4Wildlife Photo Challenge: Judges' Panel Honorees
4 August 2023 10:00am
The Wildlife Society Conference
19 June 2023 5:59am
Accidentally gathering eDNA data from air monitoring filters
7 June 2023 8:13pm
This new Nature feature discusses how air pollution monitoring stations in the UK have accidentally become tools for gathering eDNA data from the air. Interesting to consider how this could change wildlife monitoring, especially in urban areas where this infrastructure is already set up!
ISO Speakers for Emerging Technologies class.
31 May 2023 4:29pm
31 May 2023 10:21pm
Definitely interested! I'm in the ecoacoustics/acoustic monitoring space, working at Rainforest Connection and Arbimon.
2 June 2023 2:08pm
Carly, that would be great! Thanks! I work with soundscapes and love the work of Rainforest Connection! I'll send you an email (@CUNY) to coordinate!
From Everest to the Annamite Mountains: Applying molecular tools for conservation.
18 May 2023 5:06pm
In this captivating presentation, Dr. Tracie Seimon, Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, shares her groundbreaking work on using molecular tools for wildlife conservation. Her efforts include the development of a rapid DNA test kit specifically designed for Saola, a vital component in the search for this critically endangered species. Join Dr. Seimon on her journey from Mount Everest to the Annamite Mountains as she unravels the secrets of wildlife genetics.
Building a strong data foundation to measure impact for Nature-based Solutions
24 March 2023 8:56am
Using eDNA to survey Country: Traditional Owner Training & Certification Program (Part 3 of 3)
21 March 2023 4:44pm
How to interpret results and get the most out of eDNA data (Part 2 of 3)
21 March 2023 4:41pm
2 May 2024 3:08pm