A portable DNA testing device for conservation

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The goal of this project is to develop an affordable (less than CAN$1.00 per assay) and simple-to-use paper-based device capable of extracting and identifying DNA from biological samples, in the field, in real time. The device can be employed by non-trained users without the need for access to laboratory facilities and has important applications, including the analysis of biological samples (feces, skin and mucus) for real-time wildlife detection, e.g. identifying species from remains in the wild to assist in monitoring activities, and detecting the illegal trafficking of wildlife parts (particularly in regions where the exportation of biological samples is not permitted). Working together with our partners, the Canadian Oil Sands Innovation Alliance (COSIA), we will develop the device for caribou, a Species at Risk in Canada, whose fecal pellets are often indistinguishable from those of other ungulate species. The approach is, however, easily transferrable to the identification of other species of elusive wildlife. The device will provide researchers, environmental managers, Indigenous communities and citizen scientists with a cost-effective tool capable of producing real-time presence/absence data for species, without the need for complex analytical processes. This stands to make a substantial contribution to the field of conservation science, both nationally and globally, and will be highly useful for targeted monitoring of threatened species.