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.
Can students be on the front lines of conservation? A new Canada-wide study, published in Metabarcoding and Metagenomics, suggests they can. The efforts of some 5,000 students produced data detailed enough to reveal complex ...
Ecology
Feb 23, 2026
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Antarctic scientists have trialed a DNA "barcoding" technique that could improve biosecurity measures that help protect polar ecosystems from invasive marine species. The research, led by Australian Antarctic Program scientists, ...
Ecology
Feb 23, 2026
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20
The role of soil and forests in greenhouse gas sequestration has been studied for a long time. However, forests are also home to invisible organisms that may affect the climate. "Soil, water and peatlands have been studied ...
Ecology
Feb 17, 2026
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14
Every living organism has its own genetic "blueprint": the source code for how it grows, functions and reproduces. This blueprint is known as a genome. When scientists sequence a genome, they identify and put in order the ...
Ecology
Feb 17, 2026
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11
Bacteria in food can make you seriously ill, which is why it is so important for the facilities that produce your food to ensure proper hygiene in their production lines. A new doctoral thesis from NTNU has investigated how ...
Cell & Microbiology
Feb 5, 2026
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Groundwater is considered the largest reservoir of liquid freshwater on Earth and a habitat for complex microbial communities that drive essential biogeochemical cycles. Until now, the role of viruses that infect microorganisms ...
Ecology
Feb 4, 2026
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90
If you've ever been for a walk in the forest or poked around your local park, you're probably familiar with seeing mushrooms popping up as the weather turns cooler. But you're not the only one.
Plants & Animals
Feb 3, 2026
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14
Invasive species, pathogens, and parasites can have serious ecological consequences for aquatic ecosystems and also put human health and economies at risk. Early detection of these biological threats is vital for mitigating ...
Ecology
Jan 31, 2026
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24
Forensics experts gather DNA to understand who was present at a crime scene. But what if the crime occurred in the middle of a lake, where DNA could be carried far and wide by wind and waves? That's the challenge faced by ...
Ecology
Jan 20, 2026
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383
Drones have been used to successfully collect samples from the exhaled breath—or "blow"—from wild humpback, sperm and fin whales in northern Norway, hailing a new era of non-invasive health monitoring for these marine giants ...
Ecology
Dec 18, 2025
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