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!
Header Image: Benjamin Barca
Woodland Park Zoo
Living Northwest Conservation Manager, Woodland Park Zoo in Seattle, WA, USA
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Currently a senior undergraduate student at Pacific University participating in landscape genetics research.
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World Wide Fund for Nature/ World Wildlife Fund (WWF)
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PhD candidate in ethnoecology, working at the interface of Indigenous Biocultural Knowledge, marmam genetics & biodiversity conservation.
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Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS)
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The guide considers four different types of samples (water, sediments, invertebrate collections and diatoms), and two primary analysis types (single species detection via methods such as qPCR and assessment of...
23 February 2023
The Environmental Robotics Lab at ETH Zurich welcomes applications for a postdoctoral fellowship on robotics methods for the collection of environmental DNA to automate monitoring of biodiversity in terrestrial...
12 February 2023
Environmental (DNA) has emerged as a powerful and accessible tool to non-invasively and cost-effectly identify the presence of species in an environment, used by conservationists, researchers and citizen scientists. In...
10 February 2023
WILDLABS and Fauna & Flora International are seeking an early career Vietnamese conservationist for 12-month paid internship position to grow and support the Southeast Asia regional community in our global...
11 January 2023
Five articles that include conservation tech published at Mongabay
20 October 2022
*New closing date!* WILDLABS and Fauna & Flora International are seeking an early career conservationist for 12-month paid internship position to grow and support the Southeast Asia regional community in our global...
19 October 2022
Careers
The Senior Conservation Technology Specialist will be responsible for providing technical advice and capacity development to GWP project teams on conservation technology, distilling challenges and lessons from project...
22 September 2022
The European Biodiversity Partnership Biodiversa+, co-funded by the European Union, has launched a call for research proposals on “Improved transnational monitoring of biodiversity and ecosystem change for science and...
14 September 2022
Boost cons tech capacity at an international NGO! Fauna & Flora International is offering a paid three-month internship to consolidate and share best practices for the application of emerging hardware and software...
26 August 2022
Are you interested in joining a team dedicated to changing how conservation is conducted around the world by developing new genetic technologies for conservation, and being part of the new wave of scientists paving a...
15 August 2022
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Postdoc position focused on marine mammals, oceanography and eDNA!
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Positions include ecological data scientist, bioinformatician, metabarcoding assay developer, bioinformatics engineer, marine eDNA product scientist & more
4 June 2022
June 2024
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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 | 2 months 2 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 4 weeks ago | |
Forgot to mention this wildlife drone group - |
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Drones, eDNA & Genomics | 4 months 1 week 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 4 weeks 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 | 1 year 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 8 months ago | |
It is! Here you go: |
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eDNA & Genomics | 1 year 10 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 11 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 | 2 years 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 |