Air sensors accidentally collect DNA, revolutionizing wildlife tracking.
Scientists have discovered that DNA from more than 180 types of organisms, including plants, fungi, insects, and animals, can be captured by filters from air-pollution monitoring stations. This method of collecting environmental DNA (eDNA) could revolutionize the monitoring of biodiversity on Earth and help detect rare species. The researchers suggest that existing air-monitoring stations could be used to collect airborne eDNA, which could provide regular, repeated, long-term data collection. However, researchers need to work out some details, including the optimal sampling time and how far eDNA travels in the air.