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.

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.

The ETHZ researchers formed a teamExternal link in 2019 to take part in the XPRIZE Rainforest competitionExternal link. The winners will be announced in 2024 and will take home $5M in prize money.