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eDNA & Genomics / Feed

eDNA is a molecular conservation tech tool that can be used to detect species presence in samples taken directly from the environment. To date, eDNA has been used for species detection, biomass estimation, diet analysis, reconstruction of past flora and fauna, and wildlife disease detection. Still a relatively new area of conservation tech, eDNA is in a phase of rapid innovation and growth, with improved ease of use and more accessibility allowing this technology to find new uses in the field and lab.

discussion

WILDLABS AWARD 2025 - Automatization of a Contact-Free Saliva Sampler for Wildlife Conservation

Maristela Martins de Camargo

28 May 2025 2:29pm

The WILDLABS AWARDS 2025 will enable our team - formed of the University of São Paulo (@mmcamar https://br.linkedin.com/in/maristela-martins-de-de-camargo...

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Alen Manqui

19 June 2025 6:28pm

I eagerly await further information about the progress of this type of technology and its availability. I am a wildlife veterinarian with experience in handling and capturing wild carnivores, and this type of device would certainly facilitate epidemiological monitoring of elusive and logistically difficult-to-handle wildlife species. Greetings from Chile!

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discussion

New Group Proposal: Systems Builders & PACIM Designers

Chad Richardson

18 June 2025 2:52pm

Co-Creating Collective Impact Across the Conservation Technology EcosystemDear WILDLABS Community,I am proposing the creation of a new WILDLABS group focused on...

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Frank van der Most

19 June 2025 9:08am

Hi Chad,

Thanks for the text. As I read it, PACIMs play a role in something else/bigger, but it doesn't explain what PACIMs are or what they look like. Now I've re-read your original post, I'm thinking, maybe I do understand, but then I feel the concept is too big (  an entire system can be part of a PACIM ? ) to get going within a WildLabs group. And you want to develop 10 PACIMS within a year through this group? Don't get me wrong, I am all for some systems change, but perhaps you're aiming too high. 

Chad Richardson

19 June 2025 12:19pm

Hello again sir - PACIMs really mean 'projects' is the way I see it. Each part of the acronym can be seen as a project (if you have an assignment to do, you have a project really).

 

As for your query on 10 projects in 'this' group - I should ask for clarification if you mean particularly acoustics or in any group (I see now this is the acoustics thread after I selected all the groups for this post). If you are asking on acoustics, you're right - I am unsure on 10 as I am not too keen on acoustics yet. If you are asking 10 projects as a whole like 10 projects in the funding and finance group - I believe 10 to be a very reasonable number. Our projects we have co-created are for the most part replicable, rapidly deployable, quickly scalable, fundable through blended finance and more. 

 

Thank you again for the feedback.

Frank van der Most

19 June 2025 1:43pm

Thank you for your reply, Chad

I meant 10 as a whole, indeed. Perhaps you see your post in one group, but since it is tagged for all groups, I assumed you meant 10 in total.

In your first post you explain PACIM stands for "Projects, Assignments, Campaigns, Initiatives, Movements, and Systems", so I understood it as more than just projects. Obviously, many things can be packed into a project or called a project, but then, what does it mean that 'Projects' is part of the list?

Well, if you think 10 projects is doable, then don't let me stop you.

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article

Population genetics with eDNA

Claude Miaud

30 May 2025 1:46pm

Using SNP markers with an Amphibian species, we were able to identify a total of 17,617 nuclear single nuclear polymorphisms shared across individual, pond eDNA (4 populations) and tank eDNA samples (where tadpoles of...

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article

Nature Tech for Biodiversity Sector Map launched!

Carly Batist and 1 more

1 April 2025 1:41pm

Conservation International is proud to announce the launch of the Nature Tech for Biodiversity Sector Map, developed in partnership with the Nature Tech Collective! 

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Frank van der Most

4 April 2025 1:57pm

Thanks for sharing @carlybatist  and @aliburchard !About the first point, lack of data integration and interpretation will be a bottleneck, if not death blow to the whole...
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discussion

Using drone or other unmanned vehicle for DNA sampling on fresh elephant dung in a Baï, Congo Rainforest.

Antoine Ede

29 January 2024 9:44am

Hi all,Elephant listening project and WWF CAR are working on elephant identification in Dzanga Baï (clearance in the forest) since several years now. We would like to compare our...

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Steffen Kirchgeorg

18 March 2025 4:00pm

Hi Antoine,

Maybe I am a bit late but stumbled across your post. We have built a system to collect DNA samples from the rainforest with a drone hovering above the canopy, and we lower a probe more than 40 meters down into the canopy. Something similar could be done for your case, and as the drone hovers above, the noise is somewhat reduced. Feel free to reach out if you want to further discuss this!

Antoine Ede

28 March 2025 9:14am

Hi @skirchgeorg , thanks for the additional info. We discuss again about this with my colleague and we were still hesitating with the drone, as it will still make some noise that will deter elephant away unless we can cover it with a natural sound. And it term of control drone are not the easiest, and some bird will also attack it (already have experience that in similar context). So after discussion we were more thinking about a rover camouflaged in elephant dung or something else, that will be able to bring back a piece of elephant dung for DNA analysis. This rover will only be able to access the dry part of the baï, but it would be easier to control and we could also attach a small rope in case of problems to bring it back to the platform. If you have any ideas to develop this rover, please contact me!
 

 

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discussion

eDNA sampling kits

Nabil Amor

17 February 2025 9:02pm

Hi everyone, do you have any recommendations for eDNA sampling kits? I'm currently working on barcoding and genomics research focused on carnivores and bats (Chiroptera...

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discussion

eDNA sampling kits

Yvan Satgé

10 February 2025 3:05pm

Hi all,  I am trying to find simple pre-assembled eDNA sampling kits like these below but for sale in North America. Is that available? Or only as part of an assay?...

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discussion

Thesis Collaboration

Simon

4 January 2025 5:15pm

Hello everyone, I am an experienced Data Scientist and I am currently studying a second master in Environment Management (ULB - Belgium). I am currently looking for a master...

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Sanne Govaert

7 January 2025 12:32pm

Hi Simon,
Did you already contact INBO? Both biologging and citizen science are big themes at INBO. Last year we had a master thesis on camera trapping invasive muntjac. You can send me a private message for more info!

Ivan Herrera Olivares

14 January 2025 3:30pm

Hi Simon,

We're a biologging start-up based in Antwerp and are definitely open to collaborate if you're interested. We've got some programs going on with local zoo's. Feel free to send me a DM if you'd like to know more.

enrico sorato

15 January 2025 8:30am

Hi Simon,
We (Reneco International Wildlife Consultants) have an ongoing collaboration with a local University (Abu Dhabi, UAE)  for developing AI tools (cameratrap/drone images and video analyses) and biomimetic robots applied to conservation (e.g  https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1574954124004813 ). We also have a genetic team working on eDNA.    Field experience could be possible, in UAE or Morocco.
Feel free to write me back if you may be interested and would like to know more
 

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discussion

A question about nanopore sequencing analysis

Muhammad Danie Al Malik

20 August 2024 10:00am

Hello, I am from Indonesia, and currently, I am researching the eDNA technique using nanopore sequencing to detect several marine taxonomic. Do you know how to reduce...

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Chris Yesson

25 November 2024 11:18am

Not an expert here, but when I used this a few years back we initially used the guppy process to do real-time base calling as the nanopore was sequencing, but found that we were better off waiting for the sequencing to finish and then reprocessing all the output using the slow and careful option of the guppy base-calling process (which was way to slow to do effective real-time calling). 

Muhammad Danie Al Malik

25 November 2024 2:10pm

Hi Chris Yesson, 

Thank you for your response and answer. Yaps, in my experience with Guppy, we need to increase the model to get better results. However, When I used Dorado for basecalling, it was more appropriate with the result than a Guppy. Also, I found a journal about Porechop_ABI that could minimize unclassified barcodes because of the non-read adapters. 

This is a journal : Porechop_ABI: discovering unknown adapters in Oxford Nanopore Technology sequencing reads for downstream trimming | Bioinformatics Advances | Oxford Academic

Best Regards, 

Nabil Amor

6 January 2025 9:18pm

Hi Muhammed,

If you want any help with ONT please contact me

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Link

Coupling remote sensing and eDNA to monitor environmental impact: A pilot to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon

Elsa Carla De Grandi

2 November 2024 8:52am

The authors used the Continuous Degradation Detection and LandTrendr to map forest disturbance and regeneration, carbon sequestration and changes in habitats. This was coupled with eDNA from soil samples from intervention and counterfactual pasture field sites.

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Read "Coupling remote sensing and eDNA to monitor environmental impact: A pilot to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon | PLOS One" on

Coupling remote sensing and eDNA to monitor environmental impact: A pilot to quantify the environmental benefits of sustainable agriculture in the Brazilian Amazon | PLOS One

Monitoring is essential to ensure that environmental goals are being achieved, including those of sustainable agriculture. Growing interest in environmental monitoring provides an opportunity to improve monitoring practices. Approaches that directly monitor land cover change and biodiversity annually by coupling the wall-to-wall coverage from remote sensing and the site-specific community composition from environmental DNA (eDNA) can provide timely, relevant results for parties interested in the success of sustainable agricultural practices. To ensure that the measured impacts are due to the environmental projects and not exogenous factors, sites where projects have been implemented should be benchmarked against counterfactuals (no project) and control (natural habitat) sites. Results can then be used to calculate diverse sets of indicators customized to monitor different projects. Here, we report on our experience developing and applying one such approach to assess the impact of shaded cocoa projects implemented by the Instituto de Manejo e Certificação Florestal e Agrícola (IMAFLORA) near São Félix do Xingu, in Pará, Brazil. We used the Continuous Degradation Detection (CODED) and LandTrendr algorithms to create a remote sensing-based assessment of forest disturbance and regeneration, estimate carbon sequestration, and changes in essential habitats. We coupled these remote sensing methods with eDNA analyses using arthropod-targeted primers by collecting soil samples from intervention and counterfactual pasture field sites and a control secondary forest. We used a custom set of indicators from the pilot application of a coupled monitoring framework called TerraBio. Our results suggest that, due to IMAFLORA’s shaded cocoa projects, over 400 acres were restored in the intervention area and the community composition of arthropods in shaded cocoa is closer to second-growth forests than that of pastures. In reviewing the coupled approach, we found multiple aspects worked well, and we conclude by presenting multiple lessons learned.

discussion

Integrating Satellite Data with on-the-ground conservation tech

Seamus Lombardo

9 September 2024 4:59pm

Hi All - I'm new to WILDLABS. I'm Seamus, I work at Planet on our impact and sustainability team, focusing on applications of our satellite data to biodiversity. We've seen...

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Phil Bresnahan

20 September 2024 3:12pm

Hi, Seamus—welcome to WILDLABS! 

I work on building ground and sea-truthing technologies for satellite remote sensing related to conservation tech. For example, we have used data collected from Smartfins (thermometers on surfboard fins) to validate Landsat TIRS thermal data and other low-cost tech such as mini- and sensing Secchi disks to evaluate satellite ocean color data. I don't work in conservation tech in the strictest sense (more accurate to say coastal water resources/resilience), but of course it's related, so thought I'd chime in. 

https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/lom3.10624https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771421004996

Sounds like a great position at Planet, and an important pursuit—good luck, and I hope our paths cross!

Seamus Lombardo

24 September 2024 6:02pm

Hi Phil, 

Thanks for sharing - this is really interesting work! 

Seems like a cool integration of ground-based (or ocean-based) data and satellite data, with a community science aspect as well. I look forward to giving this paper a full read. 

Thanks, 
Seamus

 

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discussion

AI accelerator for nonprofits working in the Climate area

Angelika Nocon

31 July 2024 3:01pm

Hello everyone! I'm here today to share an interesting opportunity with you! As part of the Tech To The Rescue team, I am thrilled to unveil our latest transformative initiative!...

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Angelika Nocon

1 August 2024 1:39pm

Thank you so much! Now everything is in the hands of amazing organizations and companies! But the first results of the Disaster Management cohort are bringing a very optimistic vision! :) I hope for the same in the Climate cohort!

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article

New WILDLABS Funding & Finance group

Frank van der Most

5 June 2024 3:24pm

WildLabs will soon launch a 'Funding and Finance' group. What would be your wish list for such a group? Would you be interested in co-managing or otherwise helping out?

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Alex Rood

5 June 2024 4:14pm

This is great, Frank! @StephODonnell, maybe we can try to bring someone from #Superorganism (@tomquigley ?) or another venture company (#XPRIZE) into the fold!
Paul Edonga

6 June 2024 1:38am

I find the group to be dope, fundraising in the realm of conservation has been tough especially for emerging conservation leaders. There are no centralized grants tracking common...
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