DNA is all around us — even in the air we breathe. Now scientists have found that air quality monitoring stations — which pull in air to test for pollution — also pick up lots of DNA that can reveal what plants and animals have been in the area.
in lakes and rivers. But it’s been harder to get a genetic picture of what’s roaming around on land, said Kristine Bohmann, who studies environmental DNA at the University of Copenhagen and was not involved with the latest study.
For this latest study, Clare and her team tested air filters from two monitoring stations, one in London and one in Scotland, which are part of a national network to test for pollution. The filters picked up on a wide range of wildlife, including grasses, fungi, deer, hedgehogs and songbirds — along with “the ubiquitous pigeon,” Littlefair said.
And it's an easy lift to use systems that are already in place, pointed out James Allerton, an air quality scientist at the UK’s National Physical Laboratory. Many countries have networks set up to monitor air quality, and some of them store their old filters for years or even decades — an archive that could help show how ecosystems have changed over time.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
“Genotoxic” Warning: Chemical Found in Common Sweetener Damages DNASucralose, a widely used artificial sweetener, produces a DNA-breaking compound, sucralose-6-acetate, during digestion, according to a recent study. This compound, also found in trace amounts in the sweetener itself, exceeds safe toxicological thresholds and can cause genotoxicity and 'leaky gut.'
Read more »
Professional wrestling legend says DNA test proves he is not Lauren Boebert’s fatherThe legendary grappler said he took a second DNA test last month.
Read more »
Former WWE star takes DNA test to prove he’s not Lauren Boebert’s dadFormer WWE star Stan Lane has taken a second DNA test to prove he is not the father of Colorado Rep. Lauren Boebert — once again squashing claims made by the Republican politician’s mother th…
Read more »
Ex-Wrestler Takes 2nd DNA Test to Confirm He's Not Lauren Boebert's Father“The Toby Keith song ‘Who’s Your Daddy’ hits a bit differently now,” the congresswoman said in a statement confirming Stan Lane isn't her bio-dad.
Read more »
Ex-Fox Lake cop convicted of murder seeks new round of DNA testingJohn Cumbee is serving a life sentence for the 1992 killing of his former girlfriend.
Read more »
Miss Manners: Am I really being perverse not to have my DNA tested?People who barely know me imply I have something to hide.
Read more »