Environmental DNA (eDNA) refers to genetic material obtained directly from environmental samples such as water, soil, air, or sediments, without isolating target organisms. It consists of extracellular DNA and cellular fragments shed through excretion, secretion, reproduction, or decomposition. eDNA-based methods typically involve sample collection, DNA extraction, amplification of taxonomically informative genetic markers (e.g., mitochondrial or ribosomal loci), and high-throughput sequencing or qPCR for detection and quantification. This topic encompasses methodological optimization, degradation kinetics, transport dynamics, contamination control, and bioinformatic pipelines, and is central to non-invasive biodiversity assessment, community composition profiling, invasive species surveillance, and ecological monitoring across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems.
Have you ever been in the woods and wondered what bug you're hearing or which bird is singing? These days, new technologies are helping both scientists and the public identify what's trilling, scuttling, tweeting, rustling, ...
Ecology
Mar 24, 2026
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A new study has demonstrated that we now have the tools to study the incredibly complex ecosystems of caves in near real-time with field-portable assays. The study was published in Applied and Environmental Microbiology.
Ecology
Mar 23, 2026
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Studying endangered animal species without disturbing them and disrupting their natural habitat could be highly advantageous, as it would contribute to their protection and prevent unnecessary stress. Conventional methods ...
Scientists have discovered mosquitoes can act like tiny "flying wildlife surveyors," helping researchers detect elusive and endangered animals in Australia's national parks. A team from Macquarie University and the Department ...
Ecology
Mar 19, 2026
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Plastic trash has reached the world's most remote locations, from the bottom of the Mariana Trench to the summit of Everest. Hundreds of plastic-eating microbes that could help us clean up have been discovered over the past ...
Evolution
Mar 18, 2026
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The Mediterranean Sea is home to some of the ocean's largest animals. Among the nine species of cetaceans commonly found along its western shores are the fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus, the world's second-largest marine ...
Ecology
Mar 17, 2026
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As we move through the world, we leave behind invisible traces of ourselves encased in the hair, skin, and other bodily matter we shed. These tiny pieces of DNA—known as environmental DNA or eDNA—have major conservation potential. ...
Ecology
Mar 12, 2026
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It is not uncommon for a body to be moved after a murder, usually to hide or eliminate evidence. And while the Arizona desert may seem like the perfect place to commit such a crime, a new study shows that a cadaver can still ...
Cell & Microbiology
Mar 11, 2026
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A study led by William & Mary's Batten School of Coastal & Marine Sciences & VIMS and published in FEMS Microbiology Ecology reveals that microbial communities growing on microplastics in the Chesapeake Bay carry the genetic ...
Ecology
Mar 11, 2026
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Forests were growing on the now-submerged landmass of Doggerland thousands of years earlier than previously believed, according to a major new sedimentary ancient DNA (sedaDNA) study led by the University of Warwick. The ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 11, 2026
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