Health and Healthcare Systems

eDNA: How a method to detect endangered wildlife is now being used to fight COVID-19

Looking for bits of DNA at the University of Florida.

eDNA was originally used to monitor endangered species. Image: David Duffy

Jessica Alice Farrell
PhD Candidate in Biology, University of Florida
Liam Whitmore
PhD Candidate, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Limerick
David Duffy
Assistant Professor of Wildlife Disease Genomics, University of Florida
  • eDNA is a technique that can monitor a particular strain of DNA in a sample.
  • Originally, the technique was used to monitor endangered species, confirming their presence without the use of a camera or the human eye.
  • Now, the technique is also being used to help check for COVID-19 and help stem the spread of the virus.

Imagine discovering an animal species you thought had gone extinct was still living – without laying eyes on it. Such was the case with the Brazilian frog species Megaelosia bocainensis, whose complete disappearance in 1968 led scientists to believe it had become extinct. But through a novel genetic detection technique, it was rediscovered in 2020.

Such discoveries are now possible thanks to a new approach that recovers and reads the trace amounts of DNA released into the environment by animals. It’s called environmental DNA, or eDNA – and it takes advantage of the fact that every animal sheds DNA into its environment via skin, hair, scales, feces or bodily fluids as it moves through the world.

As wildlife biologists at the University of Florida’s Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience & Sea Turtle Hospital, we use eDNA to track a virus responsible for a sea turtle pandemic called fibropapillomatosis, which causes debilitating tumors. We also use eDNA to detect sea turtles in the wild.

Have you read?

But in 2020, human health researchers began repurposing eDNA techniques to track the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a prime example of how research in one area – wildlife conservation – can be adapted to another area – human disease mitigation. Going forward, we believe eDNA will prove to be an essential tool for monitoring both human and animal health.

From soil microbes to sea turtles

Scientists in the 1980s began hunting for microbe DNA in soil samples. Over the next 20 years, the technique was adapted for use with air and water samples, and scientists started using eDNA to detect larger animals and plants.

Scientists now can detect DNA traces from many different environments.
The process of eDNA. Image: Liam Whitmore, University of Limerick,

While the science behind eDNA techniques is complex, the actual process of collecting and testing a sample is relatively simple. Samples are filtered through very fine paper, which traps loose cells and strands of DNA. The techniques to read what DNA is present are the same as those used for tissue or blood samples, usually quantitative polymerase chain reaction or whole genome sequencing. Scientists can either read all of the DNA present from every organism – or target just the DNA from species of interest.

Scientists now routinely use eDNA to detect endangered wildlife and invasive species. The ability to tell whether an animal is present without ever needing to lay eyes or a lens on it is an incredible leap forward, decreasing the time, resources and human effort needed to monitor and protect vulnerable species.

Routine imaging of a juvenile green sea turtle patient afflicted with virus-triggered fibropapillomatosis at the Florida Whitney Sea Turtle Hospital.
eDNA can be used to detect viruses and other diseases that can affect biological life. Image: Devon Rollinson-Ramia

However, to truly protect endangered species, it’s not just the animals that need to be monitored, but the pathogens that threaten their survival. Environmental DNA is able to monitor the parasites, fungi and viruses that can cause disease in wildlife.

Tracking COVID-19

While scientists originally applied eDNA to human pathogen detection over a decade ago, it wasn’t until the beginning of the current COVID-19 human pandemic that the repurposing of eDNA took off on a large scale, allowing the technology to make staggering advancements in very short order.

Coronavirus genomes consist not of DNA, but rather its cousin molecule, RNA. So researchers have rapidly optimized a variation of eDNA – eRNA – to detect coronavirus RNA in air and human wastewater.

For example, at the University of Florida Health Shands Hospital, researchers collected air samples from the hospital room of two COVID-19 patients. Using eRNA, they successfully isolated and sequenced the virus. Confirming air as a key route of transmission directly influenced public health guidelines.

Collecting sewage samples to test for SARS-CoV-2 at Utah State University in September 2020.
Collecting sewage samples to test for SARS-CoV-2 at Utah State University. Image: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer

When scientists apply eRNA to archived wastewater samples, the true dates of SARS-CoV-2 appearance can be detected. SARS-CoV-2 concentration in wastewater in Valencia, Spain, peaked on March 9, 2020, but the number of clinical cases didn’t peak until the start of April 2020 because of the lag time between infection and severe clinical symptoms.

This sort of predictive monitoring has profound implications for health care systems, allowing time to prepare – not just for COVID-19, but for any future disease outbreaks that threaten human populations.

Intersection of diseases

It’s vital that human and animal diseases are studied together. Sixty percent of emerging human pathogens come from animals – with many of these (42%) originating in wildlife populations, including Ebola, Zika, West Nile and Marburg viruses. Alternatively, people can also transmit pathogens to animals.

Medics, veterinarians and scientists call this convergence of human, animal and environmental well-being OneHealth or EcoHealth. Studying and treating human and wildlife disease together recognizes their commonalities and often yields breakthroughs.

With eDNA, all pathogens can be monitored in an environment regardless of where they come from. An integrated eDNA monitoring program could cost-effectively provide advanced warning of human, livestock and wildlife diseases.

Loading...
Don't miss any update on this topic

Create a free account and access your personalized content collection with our latest publications and analyses.

Sign up for free

License and Republishing

World Economic Forum articles may be republished in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International Public License, and in accordance with our Terms of Use.

The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone and not the World Economic Forum.

Stay up to date:

Science

Related topics:
Health and Healthcare SystemsNature and Biodiversity
Share:
The Big Picture
Explore and monitor how Science is affecting economies, industries and global issues
A hand holding a looking glass by a lake
Crowdsource Innovation
Get involved with our crowdsourced digital platform to deliver impact at scale
World Economic Forum logo
Global Agenda

The Agenda Weekly

A weekly update of the most important issues driving the global agenda

Subscribe today

You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in our emails. For more details, review our privacy policy.

How to transform lung cancer outcomes in low- and middle-income countries

Dato Seri Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad

November 29, 2024

Measles cases are rising – here’s what can be done

About us

Engage with us

  • Sign in
  • Partner with us
  • Become a member
  • Sign up for our press releases
  • Subscribe to our newsletters
  • Contact us

Quick links

Language editions

Privacy Policy & Terms of Service

Sitemap

© 2024 World Economic Forum