Environmental DNA (eDNA) Technology in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Health Research: Advances and Prospects

Area of Science:

• Ecology
• Molecular Biology
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Environmental DNA (eDNA) is increasingly used for biodiversity surveys and ecosystem health assessments.
• It detects genetic material in environmental samples, offering high sensitivity for rare, endangered, and invasive species.
• eDNA metabarcoding facilitates large-scale microbial community analysis across aquatic, terrestrial, and atmospheric environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and evaluate optimized environmental DNA (eDNA) workflows.
• To integrate standardized guidelines for sampling, DNA extraction, and bioinformatic analysis.
• To identify critical challenges and future directions for eDNA applications.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of multi-environment case studies on eDNA workflows.
• Evaluation of optimized sampling techniques (e.g., filtration, PCI/DNeasy, MD8 samplers).
• Assessment of DNA extraction and bioinformatic analysis protocols.

Main Results:

• Optimized eDNA workflows enhance research reproducibility and comparability.
• eDNA technology demonstrates broad applicability across diverse ecosystems.
• Key challenges include reference database gaps, quality control, and abundance quantification.

Conclusions:

• Environmental DNA (eDNA) offers cost-efficient and labor-saving biodiversity monitoring.
• Addressing current challenges is crucial for advancing eDNA applications.
• Future advancements will expand eDNA's role in global change research, including climate adaptation and ecological restoration.