The Sequence 8/12-8/18
A New Detective Unlocking the Ocean's Secrets
A New Detective Unlocking the Ocean's Secrets
For all of the times I have talked about various sources of DNA in this newsletter, think cfDNA and ctDNA for example, I have yet to cover eDNA, or environmental DNA. It is now eDNA’s time in the spotlight; a new robot fish named Eve has been created to collect eDNA from the Earth’s oceans. Prior to Eve and other robots like her, the study of eDNA relied on rudimentary methods like scooping water into a cup to send to the lab for analysis. Today I will discuss how Eve and other robotic tools are increasingly being used to explore the ocean and learn more about underwater habitats.
What is eDNA?
eDNA, or environmental DNA, is just that: DNA that is released into the environment. As animals move through their environment, they shed fragments of genetic material such as skin cells, waste products and other bodily fluids that can then be used to monitor biodiversity in a given area. By extracting these minute traces of DNA from samples of water, soil or air, scientists can tell a surprising amount about the plants and animals living nearby.
Eve is one of several autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) in development that collect eDNA. The student-led group at ETH Zurich that created her has spent the past two years building a school of soft robotic fish, of which Eve is the latest. Eve is a high-tech swimmer powered by pumps hidden inside her body. Her outer body is made of silicone that can glide easily through the water, and she is equipped with special tools including a DNA-collecting filter that helps her uncover the secrets of the water as she swims. She is also equipped with an underwater camera, and an algorithm-driven sonar that enables her to avoid obstacles. By making Eve look and swim like a fish, her presence is minimally invasive in the ecosystem she is surveying.
How did Eve perform?
Well! Eve has been tested in Lake Zurich, where SURF-eDNA confirmed that she swam silently through the water, blending into her environment and operating independently of any human controls. In addition to Eve, other AUVs have been successful. California-founded startup Aquaai, for example, has developed drones resembling clownfish that can collect information like oxygen, salinity and pH levels in waterways; and last year, a rover captured the deepest-ever filmed fish.
Interesting. What’s the takeaway?
Although models to collect eDNA have not been widely researched, Eve’s success in mimicing the fluid movements of a real fish and collecting environmental data from marine ecosystems is inspiring additional potential applications. This method could be used to identify species in aquatic ecosystems and marine life and understand how they change over time. This, in turn, would help us understand more about the depth and longevity of various species based on their biomarkers and genomic variation.
Newsletter Sources:
https://theweeklysequence.substack.com/p/the-sequence-1212-1218
https://theweeklysequence.substack.com/p/the-sequence-109-1015
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/jun/12/this-will-finally-lift-the-veil-how-edna-can-see-the-oceans-hidden-life
https://www.cnn.com/science/switzerland-dna-collecting-robot-fish-hnk-spc/index.html?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Scan%20Mon%202024-08-12&utm_term=The%20Scan%20Bulletin
https://ethz.ch/en/news-and-events/eth-news/news/2023/05/from-robotic-fish-to-artificial-muscles.html
https://www.aquaai.com/
https://www.cnn.com/2024/04/22/tech/water-security-aquaai-robots-spc/index.html