Nature DNA

30/09/2026

Conservation is bigger than any one project.

If a threatened species is important enough to develop a dedicated eDNA assay for, we think there is value in making that knowledge accessible to the people who may need it next.

A species-specific assay becomes more valuable when others can access, reproduce and build on the work.

At NatureDNA, we actively support the publication of assays and their supporting validation information wherever possible.

It may not always be the best business model, but open science and conservation are things we care deeply about.

Because an assay developed for conservation should ultimately help conservation.

Read more about our approach on our latest blog 👇

* A quick Facebook gripe: As of this morning, Meta has suddenly started restricting small businesses like ours to just two posts containing links per month — unless we sign up for a $62/month subscription.

So, for now, you'll need to head to the NatureDNA website and have a look under Resources → Blogs to read the full article. Thank you so much for your support.

24/09/2026

This project is one of our absolute favourites to be involved in at the moment.

We’ve been supporting the Ngururrpa Rangers, in partnership with the Indigenous Desert Alliance and the Resilient Landscapes Hub, to improve detection of the elusive and critically endangered night parrot on Ngururrpa Country.

It’s an incredible project that brings together Ngururrpa knowledge of Country with a range of innovative tools, including acoustic monitoring, remote cameras and environmental DNA (eDNA).

We’ve developed a species-specific eDNA assay for night parrot, with Ngururrpa Rangers collecting samples from desert waterholes to help validate the assay in the field.

A great example of how combining Indigenous knowledge, field experience and new technology can help us better understand and protect threatened species.

23/09/2026

We’re proud to support this important research project by providing population genetic services to help confirm the presence of Fitzroy Falls spiny crayfish in a catchment outside its previously known range.

It’s a great example of how genetics can help uncover new information about threatened species and their distribution — providing valuable evidence to guide future conservation and management.

Great work by the research team, and we’re looking forward to supporting this project further in the future.

We’ve discovered the Fitzroy Falls spiny crayfish in new territory in the Southern Highlands 🙌🏼

Previously only found in Wildes Meadow Creek, we've now spotted this rare species of cray in the Nepean and Wingecarribee Rivers too.

Crayfish may be small, but their impact is huge 💚 They're important members of the freshwater ecosystem and they help us understand broader catchment health.

A current research project led by the UOW: University of Wollongong, Australia will continue to assess the species' long-term requirements for survival. We’ll use these findings, in collaboration with WaterNSW and Primary Industries and Regional Development, to manage habitat and flows to help them.

📸: Alex Pike/DCCEEW

20/09/2026

🐢 Tracking a native species as it becomes invasive

More than half of the world’s turtle species are at risk of extinction, and in NSW, range-restricted species such as the endangered Manning River helmeted turtle (Myuchelys purvisi) face an additional challenge: the expansion of the native-but-locally-introduced Macquarie River turtle (Emydura macquarii) beyond its natural range.

Our latest research has developed and validated highly sensitive, species-specific eDNA assays for these freshwater turtles, and contributed to field surveys to map their distribution and expanding ranges.

These eDNA tools provide a non-invasive way to detect range shifts and potential incursions, helping conservation managers identify where targeted surveys and management action may be needed. They also have potential to complement traditional monitoring and community-based sampling.

This is a great example of how eDNA can move from the lab into practical conservation—using traces of DNA left behind in the environment to help protect endemic species found nowhere else on Earth.

📄 Read the paper: https://lnkd.in/gagWxkce

With thanks to our research partners and collaborators: Gulbali Institute, MidCoast Council, University of Canberra, Redleaf Group, Australian Reptile Park and Billabong Zoo

15/09/2026

What filter size should you use for eDNA water sampling in Australia?

We get asked this a lot — so we’ve written our first NatureDNA website blog about it.

We look at the practical differences between 1.2 µm and 5 µm filters, why we generally use 5 µm for Australian freshwater projects, and why a filter that works well overseas isn't necessarily the best option here.

Check it out 👇

What filter size should you use for eDNA water sampling?

13/09/2026

We’ve been giving our NatureDNA website a bit of a refresh this last week.

We’ve put together a dedicated eDNA section covering the practical side of genetic surveying, including:

• Different sampling methods and kits that are available
• Step-by-step print sampling guides
• Short videos showing how to collect samples
• The different analysis options, from single-species detection through to broader biodiversity assessment

We’ll keep adding to it as we develop more sampling methods, guides and resources - with more in the pipeline.

Check it out if you’re interested in eDNA, biodiversity monitoring or just want to see what we’re up to at NatureDNA.

www.naturedna.com.au

NatureDNA, an independent research organisation that delivers trusted genetic insights to support conservation, environmental management, and impact assessment

07/09/2026

National Threatened Species Day takes on a whole new personal meaning at NatureDNA.

For us, threatened species conservation isn’t just what we do — it’s something that brought us together and has been a shared part of our lives and careers ever since.

NatureDNA Co-Directors Elise and Ben first came together through a shared passion for wildlife and conservation, trapping platypus on Kangaroo Island. Many years later, we even had a threatened species-themed wedding on this very day - the 7th September. Needless to say, threatened species conservation has featured pretty heavily in our lives ever since.

We’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with a wide range of threatened species and conservation projects across much of Australia. We’ve seen first-hand how challenging it can be to find, monitor and protect species that are rare, elusive or occur at very low densities.

That’s one of the things that excites us most about eDNA.

The ability to detect traces of DNA left behind by an animal can provide an incredibly useful tool for finding threatened and elusive species — sometimes where traditional survey methods struggle.

But detecting DNA is only part of the story. For threatened species in particular, you want to have the highest possible confidence that a detection is genuine.

That’s where we come in.

We go through the lab sequencing data with a fine-tooth comb, scrutinising the results and considering things like reference databases, species distributions and potential sources of error. Our aim is to give our clients confidence that when a threatened species shows up in their results, the evidence behind that detection is as robust as possible.

Our focus is simple: providing confidence in eDNA detections and practical, project-specific solutions that help land managers, researchers and conservation practitioners make better decisions for threatened species.

Today, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the species we’ve lost, the species still at risk, and the work we can all do to help protect them.

03/09/2026

Introducing our new Passive eDNA Air Sampling Kit

We’ve been working on a simple new way to collect eDNA from the air — using an electrostatic dust cloth.

The idea is pretty simple: as animals and plants shed DNA into the environment, some of that material becomes airborne and eventually settles as dust. Our sampler passively captures that material over time, ready for eDNA analysis.

No pumps. No batteries. No expensive, complicated equipment.

Just a lightweight sampler that can be deployed in the field and left to collect DNA over an extended period.

Air sampling presents some unique challenges for eDNA detection, with concentrations potentially up to 25,000 times lower than in water. However, recent research has shown that dust cloths are surprisingly effective at capturing DNA from a wide range of plants and vertebrates. They’re also relatively weather-resistant and compatible with standard DNA extraction workflows, making them an exciting option for terrestrial biodiversity monitoring.

We’ve turned this approach into a field-ready NatureDNA kit, opening up some really interesting possibilities for wildlife and biodiversity surveys — particularly in areas and where water is limited and passive sampling is useful.

Another tool for the eDNA toolbox.

🎥 Want to see how it works? Check out our new video guide:

This video provides guidance for using the NatureDNA eDNA Passive A...

28/08/2026

Well, here it is — our first sampling guide video! 🎥

Check out our new eDNA Water Sampling Guide, showing you how to collect an eDNA water sample using a syringe sampler.

There are plenty more videos in the making, and we’ll be publishing them on the NatureDNA website soon, thanks to our good friend and website designer Justine Millard Website Development.

More to come.

This video provides step-by-step instructions on how to use the Nat...

20/08/2026

A bit less syringe pumping, a bit more sampling!

We’ve recently picked up an Diagnostics Inc. Surface Sampler, and after a couple of weeks putting it through its paces, we’re super impressed with it.

We’ve tested it with both 5µm syringe disc filters and 5µm Smith-Root filters — and it’s performed really well with both.

In most freshwater scenarios, we’ve been able to push 4–5 litres through a 5 µm Smith-Root filter in around 10 minutes, and up to 1.5 litres through a 5 µm syringe filter in the same time.

For anyone who’s pumped 20 syringes through a syringe filter by hand, that’s a pretty welcome change!

The other big tick for us is the battery setup. It runs on the common Makita batteries, which are easy to get your hands on pretty much anywhere around Australia. Combined with the sampler’s lightweight design, that makes it much easier to ship to clients around the country.

That’s a big advantage over systems with enclosed or proprietary batteries, where shipping and battery logistics can become a bit of a pain.

There’s also a nice environmental upside. Using a sampler like this for syringe filters means we can reduce the amount of single-use plastic from disposable syringes when filtering larger volumes of water.

We’ll be making the Surface Sampler available for hire to NatureDNA clients as an add-on or alternative to traditional syringe filtering or a Smith-Root backpack.

We reckon there’ll be plenty of projects where being able to hire one of these makes field sampling a whole lot easier.

Practical gear. Less pumping. Less plastic. And a bit less stuffing around in the field.

That’s our kind of kit. 👌