Group curators
Ahmed Junaid
- @ahmedjunaid
- | He/His
Sarra Farjallah
- @sarraissbat
- | Sarra
Nabil Amor
Kerstin Glaus
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.
The eDNA & Genomics Group provides a collaborative space for researchers, students, and practitioners interested in environmental DNA and genomics applications in biodiversity monitoring, conservation, and ecological research. The group is designed for anyone working with or curious about eDNA sampling, high-throughput sequencing, bioinformatics, and population genomics.
Many researchers face challenges in accessing reliable protocols, interpreting large sequencing datasets, and staying updated on rapidly evolving genomics technologies. This group addresses these challenges by fostering knowledge exchange, sharing best practices, and supporting discussions on methodological and computational approaches.
Our vision is to create a community that bridges fieldwork, laboratory research, and bioinformatics analysis, enabling members to improve species detection, understand genetic diversity, and support conservation decisions using eDNA. By facilitating collaboration, mentoring, and information sharing, the group aims to accelerate learning, enhance reproducibility, and strengthen the impact of eDNA and genomics research globally.
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!
Header Image: Benjamin Barca
Group curators
- @ahmedjunaid
- | He/His
Zoologist
- 89 Resources
- 7 Discussions
- 16 Groups
- @sarraissbat
- | Sarra
Dr. Sarra Farjallah is a distinguished researcher affiliated with Université de Tunis El Manar in Tunisia, where she has contributed significantly to the fields of molecular ecology, genetics and parasitology.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 0 Groups
My research focuses on using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to study endangered species, including carnivores, chiropterans (bats), and lizards, as well as their microbiomes.
- 7 Resources
- 9 Discussions
- 20 Groups
I am a marine biologist specializing in elasmobranch research. I am currently a postdoctoral researcher with the Ecosystems and Landscape Evolution Group, ETH Zurich, studying marine and terrestrial biodiversity using environmental and sediment ancient DNA.
- 2 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 0 Groups
No showcases have been added to this group yet.
Christina Biggs is an exploration strategy leader who creates biodiversity survey expeditions using advanced technologies to uncover the most neglected species on earth.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 4 Groups
- @TaliaSpeaker
- | She/her
WILDLABS & World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
I'm the Executive Manager of WILDLABS at WWF
- 27 Resources
- 64 Discussions
- 32 Groups
WILDLABS & Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
I'm the Bioacoustics Research Analyst at WILDLABS. I'm a marine biologist with particular interest in the acoustics behavior of cetaceans. I'm also a backend web developer, hoping to use technology to improve wildlife conservation efforts.
- 47 Resources
- 41 Discussions
- 34 Groups
- @MPlacido
- | Placido
I am Placide MASENGESHO, a Masters student in African Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at Mweka University. I got more skills in biodiversity monitoring using camera trapping, data analysis using R studio and Acoustic monitoring of wildlife.
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 1 Groups
Chief Wildlife Biologist & CEO of Altitude Conservation, developing conservation tech. Deployed the first drone multi-frequency VHF tracking system in 2015. With 25+ years’ experience as a wildlife biologist and telemetry developer at NPS, DOC (NZ) +3 other telemetry companies
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 13 Groups
Coral reef/island ecologist exploring in the development and maintenance of biodiversity with all tools available.
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 6 Groups
As a software engineer I've made a career building large scale products. I'm looking to apply my skills to supporting non-profits and solving funding problems.
- 0 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 11 Groups
- @Gliday
- | He/him
Save the Elephant
Research scientist (dual M.Sc.) leading AI-assisted wildlife survey modernisation at Save the Elephants and founder of Shamba AI — working at the intersection of Bioscience, conservation, data science, and AI
- 0 Resources
- 0 Discussions
- 7 Groups
Making hardware for pushing boundaries
- 0 Resources
- 1 Discussions
- 12 Groups
World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
I work to deploy and scale conservation technologies, including AI-enabled camera traps and eDNA tools, to help practitioners monitor and protect biodiversity more effectively.
- 2 Resources
- 3 Discussions
- 7 Groups
- @StephODonnell
- | She / Her
Tech, Sustainable Finance at World Bank & CFA (prev. Founder WILDLABS)
- 197 Resources
- 670 Discussions
- 31 Groups
My research focuses on using Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) to study endangered species, including carnivores, chiropterans (bats), and lizards, as well as their microbiomes.
- 7 Resources
- 9 Discussions
- 20 Groups
Article
The White-bellied Heron (Ardea insignis) is the world's rarest heron, with only about 60 individuals remaining globally. Bhutan holds nearly half of the remaining population, making conservation efforts within the...
31 May 2026
Link
eDNA is not only about detecting species. This study demonstrates how eDNA can capture biodiversity patterns from populations to communities, helping connect ecology and evolutionary biology.
29 May 2026
Link
WildinSync - eDNA laboratory extraction
Kerstin Glaus
Looking for an eDNA extraction protocol for water filtration samples? After testing multiple approaches, we adopted a workflow optimized for sensitivity and rare-species detection. Designed for large-volume capsule...
29 May 2026
Link
ETH Zurich is hosting an applied course on eDNA for biodiversity monitoring, ecological research and decision-making. 📅 1 September 2026 - 15 January 2027📍 ETH Zurich, Switzerland 🗓️ Application deadline: 7 June 2026
28 May 2026
Article
🌍 Conservation technology is transforming how we protect wildlife, but are we thinking carefully enough about the risks? Drones, camera traps, GPS trackers, acoustic sensors, AI, and remote sensing have become...
22 May 2026
Link
Historical eDNA
19 May 2026
Link
eDNA
19 May 2026
Link
Marine Tropical Fish Diversity - Environmental DNA
19 May 2026
Link
Freshwater eDNA vs Conventional Survey Methods
19 May 2026
Link
Comparison of camera trapping, visual stakeouts and eDNA surveys for detection of platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus).
5 May 2026
eDNA - Dakota Skipper
24 April 2026
Link
eDNA methods - systematic review.
31 March 2026
October 2026
November 2026
event
Maristela Martins de Camargo
March 2026
event
Diana Mastracci
6 Products
Recently updated products
| Description | Activity | Replies | Groups | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hi all!I'm an engineer in search of volunteer/paid work in conservation tech. I just graduated with my master's in mechanical engineering... |
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Community Base, Acoustics, Animal Movement, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Sensors | 3 weeks 5 days ago | |
| Too bad we saw this just now. I hope we get to join another one soon. |
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eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation | 2 months ago | |
| Greetings, I'm based in Gibsonia, PA and looking to help anyway I can part time either local or remote.My skillsets are the following:.NET... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Autonomous Camera Traps for Insects, Build Your Own Data Logger Community, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Conservation Dogs, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Data Management & Mobilisation, Drones, Earth Observation 101 Community, East Africa Community, Edge Computing, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Funding and Finance, Geospatial, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Latin America Community, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors, Sustainable Fishing Challenges | 2 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi Yvan, This is super late, but we sell very similar kits that you can buy just the kits or kits + metabarcoding analysis at Wilderlab and we now have a USA office. Check it... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 3 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hi Susan, Thank you for your message. I apologise, but as we are a non-profit and mostly volunteer-run, we are presently unable to provide funding support to people to... |
|
AI for Conservation, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Conservation Tech Training and Education, Drones, Early Career, East Africa Community, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Ethics of Conservation Tech, Funding and Finance, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Marine Conservation, Open Source Solutions, Protected Area Management Tools, Women in Conservation Tech Programme (WiCT) | 4 months 1 week ago | |
| Scientific Reports is currently welcoming submissions of original research to a Environmental DNA as biosignatures... |
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Community Base, eDNA & Genomics | 6 months 2 weeks ago | |
| hi chad, its great to hear from you_its really a great idea and impactful journey in our community having experience in community-led conservation initiatives, working... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Climate Change, Community Base, Connectivity, Drones, eDNA & Genomics, Emerging Tech, Funding and Finance, Geospatial, Human-Wildlife Coexistence, Software Development, Wildlife Crime | 9 months 2 weeks ago | |
| To better understand peoples' trust in environmental DNA (eDNA) methods and data, the eDNA Collaborative is... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 9 months 2 weeks ago | |
| Hola, Alen! I'm a veterinarian too and this device is being developed thinking of you and your colleagues. We want field veterinarians to be able to collect more samples with less... |
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Emerging Tech, eDNA & Genomics | 11 months 3 weeks ago | |
| Hi @skirchgeorg , thanks for the additional info. We discuss again about this with my colleague and we were still hesitating with the drone, as it will still make some noise that... |
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Drones, eDNA & Genomics | 1 year 2 months ago | |
| Hi Nabil,What medium do you want to sample for your eDNA (soil/air/water)? If its soil then you can simply collect a sample in a bag and freeze.This is a nice soil collection... |
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eDNA & Genomics | 1 year 3 months ago | |
| Hi Simon,We (Reneco International Wildlife Consultants) have an ongoing collaboration with a local University (Abu Dhabi, UAE) for developing AI tools (cameratrap/drone... |
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Acoustics, AI for Conservation, Animal Movement, Camera Traps, Citizen Science, Connectivity, Drones, Early Career, eDNA & Genomics, Marine Conservation, Protected Area Management Tools, Sensors | 1 year 5 months ago |
Assessing Critical Habitats Using Environmental DNA to Conserve the World’s Rarest Heron- White-bellied Heron Ardea insignis
31 May 2026 8:40pm
A Continuum of Biodiversity: Revealing Marine Tropical Fish Diversity From Intra- to Interspecific Variation Through Environmental DNA
29 May 2026 12:57pm
WildinSync - eDNA laboratory extraction
29 May 2026 12:45pm
Environmental DNA – From Biodiversity Monitoring to Decision Making (Applied Course at ETH Zurich)
28 May 2026 4:09pm
Help shape best-practice guidance on conservation technology - input to survey
22 May 2026 10:20am
Engineer Searching for Biologists
20 May 2026 3:18pm
Recovering Historical eDNA From Museum-Preserved Filter Feeders via Non-Destructive Metabarcoding
Comparison of camera trapping, visual stakeouts and eDNA surveys for detection of platypuses (Ornithorhynchus anatinus) in north-eastern New South Wales
5 May 2026 9:20am
Call for marine sites worldwide to apply to join eDNA Expeditions 2026-2028
23 January 2026 11:00am
25 January 2026 2:09pm
@LaurentChmiel Excellent initiative! 🌊🧬 eDNA Expeditions 2026–2028 is a powerful example of how local eDNA sampling can generate global, decision-ready insights for marine conservation. Great opportunity for marine sites worldwide to build capacity, engage communities, and contribute to a global biomolecular observatory.
28 January 2026 1:33pm
Thanks, @nabil.amor ! Do not hesitate to ask me anything you want regarding the project!
12 April 2026 6:23pm
Too bad we saw this just now. I hope we get to join another one soon.
A systematic review evaluating the performance of eDNA methods relative to conventional methods for biodiversity monitoring
31 March 2026 2:29pm
Uncovering the tropical past: emerging evidence from ancient environmental DNA
31 March 2026 2:28pm
5th International Conference on Animal Health Surveillance (ICAHS5)
26 March 2026 2:28pm
Non-destructive environmental DNA extracted from owl pellet contents: A valuable tool for monitoring mammalian species richness
26 March 2026 1:40pm
Non-destructive environmental DNA extracted from owl pellet contents: A valuable tool for monitoring mammalian species richness | PLOS One
Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers valuable presence/absence data for populations and has been widely used in comprehensive biodiversity assessments. However, applying eDNA in terrestrial environments poses unique challenges, particularly in obtaining samples that are representative of ecological communities. eDNA extracted from top-predator dietary samples can be an effective sampling source in monitoring prey populations. In this study, we tested a novel, non-destructive protocol to assess the efficacy of eDNA from barn owl (Tyto javanica delicatula) pellets as a tool for monitoring small mammal communities in an arid environment. We assessed the species composition and abundance of small mammals from owl pellets collected in the Simpson Desert in far western Queensland, Australia, using a three-tiered approach. We extracted DNA from 50 owl pellets and targeted a 16S mini-barcode for metabarcoding. We compared species detection via genetic analysis with that of morphological analysis, and finally with historical small mammal trapping data. The DNA extraction method presented here resulted in full preservation of prey bones and fur material for museum archival. eDNA detected four mammal species that were not detected via morphological pellet analysis, three of which are significant detections that had not been observed at this location before but were expected to occur based on likely distribution ranges. However, a key limitation of the eDNA approach demonstrated in this study, is that taxonomic identification was constrained by the completeness of reference databases, which can result in false negatives or ambiguous assignments. The results of the present study demonstrate that the specificity of an eDNA approach can offer advantages compared with morphological identification of mammalian remains from owl pellets, and that genetic owl pellet analysis may be particularly useful in full vertebrate diversity assessments that include reptiles, birds and amphibians that are unidentifiable from skeletal remains.
Fast, Flexible, Feasible: A Transparent Framework for Evaluating eDNA Workflow Trade-Offs in Resource-Limited Settings
26 March 2026 1:27pm
From Environmental Clues to Wildlife Monitoring: The Power of eDNA
26 March 2026 1:24pm
From Environmental Clues to Wildlife Monitoring: The Power of eDNA - Events - Cibio
The mission of the Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources is to develop world-class research in the areas of biodiversity and evolutionary bi
Community ecology in a bottle: Leveraging eDNA metabarcoding data to predict occupancy of co-occurring species
26 March 2026 1:12pm
Looking To Utilize My Skillsets To Help
19 March 2026 10:26pm
When Wildlife Becomes Data: Ethical AI in Biodiversity Monitoring- Join the GEO Indigenous Alliance Summit 2026 March 16-19
5 March 2026 3:53pm
Microbial, holobiont, and Tree of Life eDNA/eRNA for enhanced ecological assessment
1 March 2026 9:12am
Advancing aquatic biodiversity assessments of invertebrates using eDNA metabarcoding
1 March 2026 9:08am
eDNA sampling kits
10 February 2025 3:05pm
24 February 2026 9:09pm
Hi Yvan,
This is super late, but we sell very similar kits that you can buy just the kits or kits + metabarcoding analysis at Wilderlab and we now have a USA office. Check it out here: www.wilderlab.co
Thanks!
Assessing Oxford Nanopore-based eDNA metabarcoding for carnivore monitoring in Saudi Arabia: detection of Arabian leopard DNA as a case study
8 February 2026 6:43pm
Register now for the 2026 Global eDNA Conference
6 February 2026 4:52pm
Women in Conservation Forum (WiCF) 2nd March in Nairobi: GoFundMe platform
30 January 2026 5:14am
30 January 2026 10:52am
Hello Macayle
It is of great pleasure that there is this opportunity coming to East Africa. I would like to attend this. Do you have any recommendation for funding a student to attend such a forum? I will share this opportunity with our East Africa WhatsApp group too.
2 February 2026 2:33am
Hi Susan,
Thank you for your message.
I apologise, but as we are a non-profit and mostly volunteer-run, we are presently unable to provide funding support to people to travel to Nairobi for the forum.
Thank you for sharing WiCF with the whatsapp community; that’s lovely of you!
I can write up an official letter of invitation if that would help with a university bursary application, and WiCF attendees will receive a certificate of attendance for the day.
I have a small invitation flyer; feel free to share this with others who may be interested.
Kind regards,
Macayle
Join the 2026 #Tech4Wildlife Challenge! (Feb. 2-6)
20 January 2026 6:21pm
20 January 2026 10:22pm
Best time of the year!
2 February 2026 9:45am
This year am In for the @tech4Wildlife challenge
25 February 2026 9:47am
Tracking terrestrial wildlife with environmental DNA: Methods designed by and for Indigenous organizations
14 January 2026 6:46pm