We are go on our annual meeting!! Delighted that @bettinathal.bsky.social is hear to kick off the conference with a keynote!

🧬 Last call for registration for the hashtag#UKEOF hashtag#UKDNA Working Group Conference at the University of Sheffield on 13–15th April 2026. 🧬Registration is open until 20th March via this link: onlineshop.shef.ac.uk/conferences-...

🧬 Registration is now open for the 12th #UKEOF #UKDNAWG Conference 2026 until 20th March via this link: lnkd.in/ekTUn_eZ

🧬 #eDNA Fans!! 🧬One day left to submit your abstract to the #UKEOF #UKDNA Working Group Conference 13-15 April 2026! 🧬 Head to the Abstract Submission Form before 19th Feb! docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

📢 Calling all #eDNA folks!! 🧬 Abstract submission is open for the #UKEOF UKDNA Working Group Conference 2026 #UKDNAWG26! 🧬 Submit your Abstract via this link! forms.gle/epwnz5PFdrrt...

UKDNA-WG 2026 - Abstract submission form

The 2026 UKDNA-WG conference will be held on 13-15th April 2026 at the University of Sheffield, including a joint day with the Ecological Genetics Group on the 15th to explore the possibilities of how...

forms.gle

Do freshwater insect assemblages in exotic plantations resemble those from native forest? Evidence from environmental DNA #eDNA #environmenalDNA onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Do freshwater insect assemblages in exotic plantations resemble those from native forest? Evidence from environmental DNA

Widespread deforestation has impacted biodiversity patterns globally, but the potential for forest plantations to restore biodiversity remains unclear. Here we used environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis ...

onlinelibrary.wiley.com

Thank you so much to all the wonderful participants at #ukdnawg25! It’s been such an amazing couple of days! A few thank you so coming up…

And that’s a wrap! Thank you very much to @royalsociety.org, organising committee, session chairs, speakers, panellists and student helpers for a fantastic conference and we’ll see you next year! #UKDNAWG25

Speed talks! Caroline Howard @sangerinstitute.bsky.social gives update on Tree of Life project. Number of sequences are increasing every day, with slight bias towards Lepidoptera but also spanning all taxonomic groups. Fabulous genomic resource for the wider community to use #UKDNAWG25 1/4

Now @nidunn.bsky.social on importance of metadata for publishing and mobilising #metabarcoding data. Metadata key to understanding how species records were generated and making confidence judgement. FAIR #eDNA project has established workflow which @naturalengland.bsky.social have adopted #UKDNAWG25

@lyndallp.bsky.social gives insights and challenges from BIOSCAN. Scaling up, taxonomic bias + data quality have been big challenges. Sampling has ramped up over years. Most samples dominated by Diptera, but many taxa only seen once. Good coverage of UK habitats. Data platform now live #UKDNAWG25

Last session of #UKDNAWG25 is standards, best practice, current knowledge gaps and future opportunities. @leeselab.bsky.social discusses how we go from wild west of #eDNA to standards. Challenges are limited comparability of methods and unequal access to technical infrastructure and funding.

Speed talks! First Nadia Barsoum @forestresearchuk.bsky.social talks about use of #eDNA for forest #mammals. Camera traps compared to aquatic, soil, airborne and surface #eDNA. More species detected with #eDNA, particularly surface #eDNA #UKDNAWG25 1/6

@clarecowgill.bsky.social compared #eDNA, #ecoacoustics + camera trapping for monitoring #terrestrial rewilding. Aquatic, soil + surface (tree rolling) #eDNA used. Most species with #ecoacoustics + tree rolling. More mammals + amphibians with #eDNA. More birds with #ecoacoustics #UKDNAWG25

Buffy Smith @theednaconsultancy.bsky.social compared #iDNA and airborne #eDNA for #biodiversity in fragmented forest landscape. #iDNA more spatially sensitive. More domestic species detected with #iDNA than #eDNA tended to capture larger native mammals - differential shedding rates? #UKDNAWG25

Doug Yu presents results of large-scale #eDNA survey across 30,000 km2 protected area complex in China. OccPlus model used which accounts for false positives and false negatives in the field and the lab using read frequency #UKDNAWG25

Our second last session is #eDNA for #terrestrial ecosystem monitoring, restoration and management. First, Bridget Emmett gives an overview of ecosystem monitoring by @ukceh.bsky.social and partners. Soils became focus in 1970s with #eDNA incorporated in recent years #UKDNAWG25

Only one speed talk in this session from Manisha Gupta of Fera Science! On-site diagnostics for food borne pathogens developed, including E. coli in irrigation water, and salmonella in high risk foods. Challenges included sensitivity and moving towards deployment #UKDNAWG25

@susheelbusi.bsky.social using the Environment Agency’s River Surveillance Network for national-scale assessment of #antimicrobial resistance (AMR). AMR is old and natural phenomenon, even present in ‘pristine’ systems. Prevalent in #river systems and influenced by catchment #UKDNAWG25

Davey Jones @bangoruniversity.bsky.social describes innovations in wastewater-based epidemiology. Everyone contributes a sample to sewerage system - unbiased monitoring. Can act as early warning system for public and environmental health. Key challenge is communicating insights #UKDNAWG25

Now for health and #forensic applications of #eDNA. Niamh Nic Daeid @dundee.ac.uk talks through whether we can and should use it in the criminal justice system. Many unknowns before it can be implemented in this space safely. Standardisation of methods, reporting, and data sharing needed #UKDNAWG25

Speed talks! @kirstenjharper.bsky.social uncovers #marine #biodiversity around Pitcairn Islands. Fish communities differ by site + depth. Species detections matched life histories + habitat preferences. More data for other taxa + comparisons with other methods still to come! #UKDNAWG25 1/4

Dina-Leigh Simons @liverpooluni.bsky.social used #eDNA to survey rocky reef #biodiversity. Many spatial + environmental influences on intertidal #eDNA, but local abiotic stress gradients and known biogeographical patterns captured. Scale-appropriate sampling needed #UKDNAWG25

Karen Tait @plymouthmarine.bsky.social presents morphological and #molecular time-series to assess #zooplankton changes over last decade. #eDNA gives diff community insights. More info overall with both methods. Insights into meroplankton winners and losers as well as seasonal changes #UKDNAWG25

#UKDNAWG25 Day 2 begins with #marine monitoring. Kate Wade @jncc.bsky.social explains how 🧬 uptake been slow - challenges combining with traditional methods, and lack of funding, knowledge and confidence. New UK Marine DNA Group aims to advance, collaborate + share learning, starting with workshop

@ukdnawg.bsky.social chair @andynisbet.bsky.social reflects on Day 1 of #UKDNAWG25. One of purposes of this group is join-up which today emphasised. Valuable sessions on airborne and aquatic #eDNA highlighted importance of microbial community insights. Heads are buzzing (in a good way)!

Ending the day with panel discussion on opportunities for cross discipline and cross sector collaboration, with panellists representing government, academia and industry. If you’re not here this year, do comment with any questions you would like asked! #UKDNAWG25

Next speed talk session! Salla Vartia introduces PINK Track. Project aims to develop standardised #eDNA protocols for surveillance of pink salmon. 8 filter types compared across 6 countries - all performed reasonably well #UKDNAWG25 1/4

Tom Wilding of SAMS giving overview of #eDNA based Infaunal Quality Index (IQI). Traditional IQI expensive, time-consuming, and incompatible with active management. #eDNA can give repeatable data and predict IQI if SOP followed. Ring testing also showed diff labs could achieve same result #UKDNAWG25

#metabarcoding of archived samples has strong potential to help understand past ecological communities and changes over time. Future work will look at DNA-based metrics/indicators of #lake condition, and biobanked/archived samples #UKDNAWG25 @ukceh.bsky.social