The Packard Foundation 138d ago

All living things leave tiny traces of DNA in their environments. So, samples of water, soil, or air store clues about which species have been there in the form of environmental DNA or “eDNA.” Over the past decade, Kelly and his colleagues have turned those traces into practical tools for conservation, allowing scientists to track biodiversity far more quickly and comprehensively than traditional surveys. Monitoring wildlife in the ocean or remote freshwater sites is cumbersome and expensive. eDNA methods let scientists detect species without ever seeing or catching them. Today, the eDNA Collaborative supports ongoing existing eDNA research projects at the University of Washington, provides grants to new eDNA research ventures around the world, and supporting a visiting scholar program to connect eDNA practitioners and encourage networking and information-sharing. The goal is to move more of the techniques developed in the lab into practice in the field, helping the best ideas rise to the surface faster. Over the years, the Packard Foundation has provided $2.5 million in grants to Stanford University and University of Washington to grow the field of eDNA, most recently to help make eDNA more accessible and practicable while maintaining scientific integrity standards.