Why eDNA?

eDNA offers a unique opportunity for monitoring both endangered and invasive species, as well as for biodiversity assessments. The benefits of using this eDNA technology over traditional monitoring include:

• Higher chance of detection most common and rare species.

• Often more cost efficient than traditional techniques

• A minimal environmental disturbance

• Minimal risk of introducing alien species and spreading diseases

Species Identification
Using eDNA we have identified more than 100 species in an aquatic environment including fish, mammals, amphibians and mussel. In comparison to traditional methods such as test fishing much ore species are commonly found.

Experimental eDNA Work :
Testing the impact of Physico-chemical factors (e.g. natural biogeochemistry and PCR pollutants) on eDNA, degradation, transport, shedding and detection rate. Comparing detection and abundance estimate with a conventional method.

Trophic and Community Ecology :
Ecosystem dynamics, functional diversity, predator-prey interactions (e.g. diet analysis), host-associated microbiota.

Palaeo-environments :
Past species and community diversity and abundance measurements, inference in space and time.

Biomonitoring, Conservation biology :
Single and multi-species detection, comprehensive biodiversity at different scales, abundance estimates, detection of rare, cryptic and endangered species, non-invasive sampling, management (e.g fisheries), occurrence and detection estimates.

Invasion Biology :
Early species detection at low abundance, passive surveillance, impacts on ecosystems, vectors and pathways on dispersal

Environmental Assessment :
Impacts of pollutants and other environmental disturbance on species and communities, microbial source tracking (fecal bacteria and pathogens).

Physical eDNA Properties :
Uptake and transformation based on geochemistry, particles, organic chemistry or microbial community.

Techniques and Methods :
Engineering development developing, testig, evaluating eDNA biotechnology and biostatistical approaches.