Automated technology for rapid marine eDNA sampling and detection

HJ Science & Technology proposes a novel technology for concentration and purification of environmental DNA (eDNA) in ocean water that is highly amenable to automation and autonomous operation, significantly reduces the required sample volumes, and is highly efficient for both intracellular and extracellular DNA detection. In Phase I, we established the technical feasibility of 1) automated concentration and purification of eDNA from a variety of eukaryotic organisms including marine mammals, 2) compatibility of this approach with downstream quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA), and 3) detection and sequencing of the eDNA from marine mammals from samples collected at the University of California, Santa Cruz Long Marine Laboratory and at Pier 39 in San Francisco. In Phase II, we will develop, construct, and validate an automated platform for detection of marine mammal eDNA in ocean water that is compatible with integration into an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV). Successful development of the proposed marine eDNA sampling and analysis technology will enable remote monitoring of the biological communities and human uses of the world's ocean, which is currently very challenging.