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eDNA & Genomics / Feed

eDNA is a molecular conservation tech tool that can be used to detect species presence in samples taken directly from the environment. To date, eDNA has been used for species detection, biomass estimation, diet analysis, reconstruction of past flora and fauna, and wildlife disease detection. Still a relatively new area of conservation tech, eDNA is in a phase of rapid innovation and growth, with improved ease of use and more accessibility allowing this technology to find new uses in the field and lab.

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Conservation Technology Intern (Vietnam) 

Meredith S. Palmer
*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...

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Conservation Tech Directory - new update!

New directory update from @gracieermi & I! And an extra special one as we've just passed our 1-year anniversary! Super exciting to see how far this has come! Check it out:...

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Congrats on the milestone Carly and Gracie!

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Conservation Technology Research Internship

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...

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Tech Tutors: How do I use eDNA in large-scale monitoring of terrestrial mammals?

Hello Wildlabbers!  This week's Tech Tutor Arnaud Lyet will lead us through how to use eDNA for accurate large-scale wildlife monitoring. Whilst...

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Hi - is a recording of this session (Using eDNA in large-scale monitoring) still available? 

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Cofounder needed

Hey all ! if you have an idea that you want to turn into a company- I would love to help. I have enough hardware/software knowledge (was an engineer) to be the cofounder of a...

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What about developing a drone conservation training course for field conservation staff teaching specific skills for specific research needs. 

How exciting @Joyeeta ! I'd love to learn more about the companies and projects you worked on, can you share more info about them?

I once chatted to an entrepreneurial advisor with a couple of my conservation tech ideas, and he said my ideas are good/impactful but don't make for a product worth millions of $$$ of turnover per year that would interest investors. So I am very curious about how you got your conservation tech businesses off the ground!

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eDNA Future applications

eDNA has already been applied to a variety on environments and species. Nevertheless, there is always room for advancement and improvements. What do you see as the next steps...

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Hi Yvan,

This is Federico from IVE. The OSMO is being continuously developed and we have a couple of dozen units currently collecting samples/data around the world. It's also relatively cheap as it was designed with citizen scientists in mind. Maybe we could skype for additional details?

Cheers

Hi Federico,

That's great to hear. Yes, let's skype. I'll send you my info by personal message.

Best

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/doi/epdf/10.1111/1755-0998.13604 

 

The group createda proof of concept of a passive, 3D-printed and easy-to-use eDNA sampler: "We designed the samplers from hydroxyapatite (HAp samplers), a natural mineral with a high DNA adsorption capacity. The porous structure and shape of the samplers were designed to optimize DNA adsorption and facilitate their handling in the laboratory and in the field. Here we show that HAp samplers can efficiently collect genomic DNA in controlled set-ups, but can also collect animal eDNA under controlled and natural conditions with yields similar to conventional methods. However, we also observed large variations in the amount of DNA collected even under controlled conditions. A better understanding of the DNA–hydroxyapatite interactions on the surface of the samplers is now necessary to optimize eDNA adsorption and to allow the development of a reliable, easy-to-use and reusable eDNA sampling tool."

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Opportunity: Product Design Engineer

NatureMetrics
NatureMetrics is now seeking a Product Design Engineer to help develop a product range focused on rapid in-field methods to detect species from environmental samples.  

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News: The Latest in Conservation Tech

WILDLABS Team
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. 

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Measuring biodiversity from DNA in the air

bioRxiv
This paper explores ground-breaking advances in terrestrial biomonitoring, demonstrating how DNA from terrestrial animals can be collected from the air under natural conditions.

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WILDLABS Tech Tutors: Season 3

WILDLABS Team
The WILDLABS Tech Tutors are back for all new season of in-depth walkthroughs, deep discussions on effective, impactful, and inclusive conservation technology project strategies, and - of course- even more answers to...

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New Article: Environmental DNA Metabarcoding

WILDLABS Team
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...

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