Environmental DNA (eDNA)
Traces of DNA fragments are ubiquitous in our environments – whether it is in sea water or in ancient sediments. Centre Director Eske Willerslev pioneered the method of environmental DNA (or eDNA, dirt DNA) which is now a powerful tool in discovering population dynamics from ancient as well as modern environments.
You can get an impression about this research area by taking a look at some of our previous press releases. These were sent out in connection with the publication of major scientific papers.
-
How many whale sharks can fit into a liter of water? From just a few water samples collected off the coast of Qatar, scientists at the University of Copenhagen in collaboration with the Qatar Ministry of Environment and
… »
-
From just a few liters of water it is now possible to examine the ocean’s fish down to one kilometer below the surface. Researchers from the University of Copenhagen and the Greenland Institute of Natural Resources lead
… »
-
Using ancient DNA, researchers have created a unique picture of how a prehistoric migration route evolved over thousands of years – revealing that it could not have been used by the first people to enter the Americas, as
… »
-
Setting effective conservation policies requires near real-time knowledge of environmental conditions. An international team of scientists propose in this week's Science journal using genetic techniques as a low-cost,
… »
-
Danish researchers at University of Copenhagen lead the way for future monitoring of marine biodiversity and resources by using DNA traces in seawater samples to keep track of fish and whales in the oceans.
… »
-
Researchers have developed a new and revolutionary, yet simple and cheap, method for tracking mammals in the rainforests of Southeast Asia.
… »
-
New research shows that some Scandinavian conifers survived the inhospitable ice age climate likely for several thousands of years.
… »
-
Danish research team leads the way for future biodiversity monitoring using DNA traces in the environment to keep track of threatened wildlife.
… »
-
Was it humans or climate change that caused the extinctions of the iconic Ice Age mammals? University of Copenhagen researchers are unravelling the mystery.
… »
