Scientists Collected Human DNA From the Air In a Breakthrough
*The first reported collection of human and animal DNA from ambient air is a boon for researchers in forensic archeology, ecology, and population studies* In a first, scientists have revealed that animal and human DNA can be plucked straight out of thin air. The development heralds a promising new scientific technique with possible applications for ecology, forensics, and medicine, according to a new study. Because animals shed cells into their environments, researchers can use water or soil samples to hunt for environmental DNA (eDNA), which provides a novel source of information about the lifeforms that inhabit any given area even if they are not present for DNA collection. The collection of eDNA has been pioneered in aquatic and underground environments, offering a data-rich and non-invasive way to examine species and their habitats. Now, a team led by Elizabeth Clare, senior lecturer at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), has provided the “first proof of concept demonstration that air samples are a viable source of DNA for the identification of species in the environment,'' according to a study published on Wednesday <https://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.11030> in the journal *PeerJ*. Plant and fungal eDNA has been snatched from the air before, but Clare was surprised to find that there were no analogous studies for animals in the scientific literature. She noted, though, that a pair of high school students from Japan presented a bird-focused eDNA concept at a science fair. [...] <https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/blog/eureka-lab/isef-2019-two-teens-pull-dna-birds-out-air> https://www.vice.com/en/article/88awgb/scientists-collected-human-dna-from-the-air-in-a-breakthrough