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A Comparison between Passive airDNA Collection and Extraction Methods on the Recovered Terrestrial Vertebrate
Jarred Moreno1, Nicola Jackson1, Celine H Frere1
1School of the Environment, University of Queensland St Lucia Queensland Australia.
Ecology and Evolution
|August 14, 2026
Summary
Optimizing airborne environmental DNA (airDNA) collection methods enhances terrestrial vertebrate biomonitoring. Cloth filters combined with the Blood & Tissue extraction kit yielded the most informative species data.
Area of Science:
- Environmental DNA (eDNA) research
- Molecular ecology
- Biomonitoring techniques
Background:
- Airborne environmental DNA (airDNA) is a novel tool for terrestrial vertebrate biomonitoring.
- Methodological standardization is crucial for reliable airDNA collection and analysis.
- Collection matrices and DNA extraction kits significantly impact recovered species assemblages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To comparatively assess the performance of different airDNA collection matrices and DNA extraction kits.
- To identify optimal methods for enhancing airDNA biomonitoring efficacy.
- To evaluate airDNA collection and extraction techniques in a real-world urban parkland setting.
Main Methods:
- Deployment of passive airDNA filters using three collection matrices: cloth filters, paraffin gauze, and PCR plate seals.
- Application of four commercial DNA extraction kits: Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue, Qiagen DNeasy PowerSoil Pro, MagMAX Total Nucleic Isolation, and Quick-DNA Miniprep Plus.
- Utilized universal mammalian and vertebrate primers for DNA amplification and analysis of terrestrial operational taxonomic units (OTUs).
Main Results:
- The combination of cloth filters and the Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue extraction kit yielded the highest number of informative terrestrial OTUs.
- This method also produced a diverse and consistent species assemblage across replicate samples.
- Cloth filters and the Blood & Tissue kit demonstrated superior performance compared to other tested combinations.
Conclusions:
- Optimized airDNA collection methodologies, specifically using cloth filters with the Blood and Tissue extraction kit, significantly enhance biomonitoring capabilities.
- This methodological refinement is essential for the wider adoption of airDNA alongside traditional monitoring techniques.
- Standardizing airDNA protocols will improve its reliability for biodiversity assessments.
