Extracting DNA traces of biodiversity in water, air and soil
How to quickly measure the biodiversity of a rainforest? Scientists in Zurich are experimenting with drones and a mobile laboratory to collect and analyse traces of plant, animal and other DNA. Their test ground: a tropical hall in Zurich Zoo.
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My work is focused on making videos and podcasts about science and technology topics. I specialize in developing explainatory video formats for mobile viewing, mixing animation and documentary styles.
I studied filmmaking and animation at Zurich University of the Arts and began working as a video journalist at SWI swissinfo.ch in 2004. Since then I have specialised in creating different styles of animation for our visual products.
A member of the Swiss Abroad editorial team, I mainly write about Switzerland's most peculiar features and stories.
After completing my master's degree in Asian Studies in Geneva (with a detour at Tokyo University and Kyoto University), I worked on the newsdesk at RSI, occasionally collaborating with Presence Switzerland during the Expo in South Korea and Milan. I have been working for SWI swissinfo.ch since 2016.
How to survey the biodiversity of a hundred hectares of rainforest in only 24 hours? A team of experts in genetics, environmental sciences and robotics set out to solve this challenging task. The fact that every living being leaves DNA traces around them, so called environmental DNA (eDNA), comes in handy for scientists like those at ETH Zurich. By analysing and counting the different DNA fragments inside a sample, they can evaluate the biological diversity of a region. Robots help to further speed up the process. Instead of human hands, a drone collects the samples from the air, water and soil. Our video team accompanied the researchers’ trials at Zurich Zoo in May.
The aim of ongoing trials like these is not just to do science more efficiently; but to better understand rainforests around the world, which are home to the greatest diversity of animals and plants. Countless species are still undocumented, and fears are that many ecosystems and their inhabitants will be destroyed before their scientific value can be catalogued.
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