College of Engineering Unit:
DNA in the environment (eDNA) can be used to indirectly identify the presence and quantity of a species in the environment. Several methods exist for collecting eDNA data in the field but there is a growing demand for an automated sampling technique. Such a sampler has been in development by the OPEnS Lab PolyWag Design team. The goal is to produce a fully automated sampler that can be programmed to be left in the field for months at a time to take and store up to 24 eDNA samples. Although several iterations of the sampler have been created and tested, cross-contamination continues to persist within the sampler making it useless in the field. The GeneTeam has spent the past several months working to improve the OPEnS Lab’s PolyWag sampler by conducting research, corresponding with a multi-faceted research team, writing reports, running experiments, collecting data and analyzing results.