Where I work: Molecular ecologist Kristine Bohmann has invented a sampler that collects genetic information from the air
). They picked up identifiable DNA from 49 vertebrates, including guppies in the rainforest pool, ostriches and giraffes in the savannah area, and even cats and dogs in the park next door. Interestingly, we didn’t get any signal from turtles in the rainforest house. Maybe turtles mostly keep their DNA to themselves.
Our analysis ultimately found that the sampler could detect animals from nearly 200 metres away. The giraffe in the picture is standing much closer than is necessary for collection of a sample. Airborne DNA is all around us. Birds release skin cells when they flap their wings. Saliva from all sorts of animals can become airborne. Animals release DNA when they defecate. In November 2021, I received a grant to start a research group whose goal is to collect airborne DNA in nature. This approach could transform conservation biology and species monitoring. We could detect rare animals and get a better understanding of diversity without disturbing an environment.
We have so many lines of inquiry in this work. The location of the samplers, the rates of air flow, the time, the best methods for sorting DNA from the sample — we’re still trying to work all of these out. We hadn’t expected that the zoo experiment would ever work, so we’re scrambling to plan the next steps. It’s an exciting time.
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