“A new effort at the University of Washington aims to accelerate eDNA research by supporting existing projects and building a network of practitioners to advance the nascent field. Called the eDNA Collaborative, the team is based in the College of the Environment with leadership and program staff from the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs.
For about a decade, scientists have honed the craft of using genetic material in the environment — known as eDNA — to detect and monitor organisms for environmental science and conservation. In a marine environment, for example, scientists can collect water samples from a specific location, then extract DNA to discern which species were present recently in that area, having never seen the animals themselves.
This bit of molecular wizardry is now becoming routine for scientists — even prompting a commitment from the U.S. Navy to use eDNA to map the locations of marine mammals — and the eDNA Collaborative aims to help the technique make the leap into everyday use for people and governments everywhere.”
Read the full article by Michelle Ma to learn more about the role new technologies can play in supporting eDNA research and the possible uses of the eDNA Collaborative’s support.
