In their quest to detect early outbreaks, virus hunters are sampling environmental DNA in water, dirt, and air.
This article was originally featured on Undark. It all started when Christopher Mason’s 3-year-old daughter licked a subway pole. Like any parent, he was horrified, but also keenly curious: What types of microbes might be clinging to a metal pipe gripped by countless commuters every day? Mason, a geneticist at Weill Cornell Medicine, soon became obsessed with that question.
Whereas previously, researchers would have to hand collect feces, blood, urine, and other biological samples, recent developments in rapid genetic sequencing have made it easier for them to do their work more quickly and safely. “Environmental samples are really, really good for speed,” Karlsson said. “We don’t have to capture animals. We don’t have to get the same kinds of permits.
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