Two research groups have independently shown the atmosphere can contain detectable amounts of DNA from many kinds of animals. Their preprints, posted on bioRxiv last week, suggest sampling air may enable a faster, cheaper way to survey creatures in ecosystems. For more than a decade, researchers have analyzed disparate sources of environmental DNA (eDNA) in water to identify elusive organisms. Far fewer studies have been done on animal eDNA in air. Now, a team of researchers in the United Kingdom has identified eDNA in air samples from 17 species of bird and mammal kept at a zoo and eight other species living in and around it, such as hedgehogs. Researchers in Denmark sampled air in the Copenhagen Zoo and detected 49 species of vertebrates. For field biologists, airborne DNA may help reveal the presence of otherwise hard to detect animals, such as those in dry environments, burrows, or caves, and those that fly out of sight of wildlife cameras, like some birds. Many questions remain about the approach, including how far eDNA travels on air. Despite the unknowns, experts say the ability to detect so many vertebrate species in air samples using DNA is a significant step.

两个研究小组独立地表明，大气中可以含有来自多种动物的可检测量的 DNA。他们上周发布在 bioRxiv 上的预印本表明，对空气进行采样可能会提供一种更快、更便宜的方法来调查生态系统中的生物。十多年来，研究人员分析了水中环境 DNA (eDNA) 的不同来源，以识别难以捉摸的生物。对空气中动物 eDNA 的研究要少得多。现在，英国的一组研究人员在动物园饲养的 17 种鸟类和哺乳动物以及生活在动物园内和周围的其他 8 种物种（例如刺猬）的空气样本中鉴定了 eDNA。丹麦的研究人员对哥本哈根动物园的空气进行了采样，发现了 49 种脊椎动物。对于野外生物学家来说，空气中的 DNA 可能有助于揭示其他难以检测的动物的存在，例如在干燥环境、洞穴或洞穴中的那些，以及那些飞出野生动物相机视线的那些，如一些鸟类。关于该方法仍有许多问题，包括 eDNA 在空中传播的距离。尽管存在未知数，但专家表示，能够使用 DNA 检测空气样本中如此多的脊椎动物物种是重要的一步。