eDNA

Currently one of our undergraduate students is developing a method for detecting the presence of either Atlantic or shortnose sturgeon in water samples. Initial work began in the Fall of 2014 using know DNA and developing and testing different primers that would target one of the two species even if both the Atlantic and shortnose DNA were present. During the Spring 2015, as a “proof-of-concept” step, we took water samples from aquaculture tanks, filtered the water, extracted the DNA, quantified the DNA extracted, and used the primers from the first phase. We found faint bands indicating this approach worked, and now are in the process of refining the PCR reactions.