Centering accessibility, increasing capacity, and fostering innovation in the development of international eDNA standards

By

Hirsch, Shana
Acharya-Patel, Neha
Amamoo, Phyllis Akua
Borrero-Pérez, Giomar H.
Cahyani, Ni Kadek Dita
Ginigini, Joape G. M.
Hurley, Kaleonani K. C.
Lopes-Lima, Manuel
Lopez, Mark Louie
Mapholi, Ntanganedzeni
Ouattara, Koffi Nouho
Pazmiño, Diana A.
Rii, Yoshimi
Thompson, Fabiano
Von der Heyden, Sophie
Watsa, Mrinalini
Yepes-Narvaez, Vanessa
Allan, Elizabeth Andruszkiewicz
Kelly, Ryan

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2024-9-24

Original Publication

Metabarcoding and metagenomics

Volume

8

Pages

1--18

Subjects

Biodiversity , capacity-building , Conservation , Edna , environmental DNA , innovation , international standards , Monitoring , Standardisation

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers 2017-

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/mbmg.8.126058

 

Abstract

Environmental DNA (eDNA) includes a set of rapidly emerging technologies that have the potential to support environmental monitoring and biodiversity conservation through novel, non-invasive, cost-effective and democratic methods and tools. Meanwhile, eDNA researchers are developing international standards for eDNA technologies, methods and data outputs. For eDNA technologies to be accessible, useful and appropriate, we must ensure that any standards developed include a broad conception of users from around the world, a diversity of ecological contexts and locations and, most importantly, a realistic outlook on research capacities and infrastructure. In this article, we assemble perspectives on international standardisation of eDNA from a diverse and global group of users and experts from Africa, South America and the Pacific Islands. The authors of this article collaborated by answering and discussing a set of open-ended questions aimed at eliciting hopes, concerns and experiences regarding eDNA standards. The result is a set of emergent themes and a generative consensus to highlight the need for the creation of adaptable standards, the development of regional capacity, increased sensitising to data sovereignty and the viewing of standardisation as a global capacity-building activity.