---
title: "New Technique Identifies DNA Floating Through the Air"
description: "Scientists can now filter freely-floating DNA out of the air, allowing them to track and monitor what animals are in the area."
date: "2021-03-31"
modified: "2021-03-31"
authors:
  - name: "Dan Robitzski"
    link: "https://futurism.com/authors/danrobitzski"
url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/technique-identifies-dna-floating-through-air"
categories:
  - "DNA"
  - "Genetics"
  - "Health & Medicine"
  - "Science & Energy"
tags:
  - "dna"
  - "ecology"
  - "genetics"
  - "surveillance"
  - "the digest"
---

# New Technique Identifies DNA Floating Through the Air

![Scientists can now filter freely-floating DNA out of the air, allowing them to track and monitor what animals are in the area.](<https://futurism.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/dna.jpg>)
*\<em\>Image: Futurism\</em\>*

## Environmental DNA

Scientists found that they can capture free-floating DNA and use it to identify what specific animals are nearby just by sucking air through a special filter.

It's a cool trick that should prove useful for conservationists and ecologists, *[Gizmodo ](<https://gizmodo.com/airborne-dna-could-help-scientists-find-elusive-animals-1846586077>)*[reports](<https://gizmodo.com/airborne-dna-could-help-scientists-find-elusive-animals-1846586077>), but the study is also fascinating from a human perspective. If DNA in the air can be used to track down specific species, it's reasonable to assume that this tech would also be able to identify people someday — tech that could be useful for forensic investigations, but that also would raise questions about security and [personal privacy](<https://futurism.com/dna-testing-data-fbi>) as well.

## Deep Breath

In this specific study, scientists built an artificial burrow for naked mole rats out of pipes and tanks. After sucking the air through a filter meant to capture DNA floating in water, they were able to identify the species hiding out inside, according to [the study](<https://peerj.com/articles/11030/>) published Wednesday in the journal *PeerJ* *Life and Environment*. But the study also has interesting implications for forensic science, security, and [surveillance purposes](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/police-dna-database>). After all, the airborne DNA — the scientists are trying to get "airDNA" to stick — is just floating there.

"I tend to think of it a bit like soup," lead study author and Queen Mary University of London molecular ecologist Elizabeth Clare told *Gizmodo*. "We're in the soup, and it contains dust and pollen and bits of DNA floating around... It's one of those things where you have to have a leap of faith to even try it."

## Open Air

In a video [about the project](<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhUPIx4fiGc>), Clare explained that airDNA might be too diluted to detect in large, open areas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YhUPIx4fiGc

"In a large space, it might be so diluted that we can't detect it efficiently," Clare said. "We'll need to suck lots of air through a filter to accomplish this, but in a smaller space we think it might work really well. I think this is going to be really interesting to scientists who work on animals that are just hard to get to."

But now that scientists are considering airDNA as a tool, it's reasonable to think that others could find more efficient ways to capture, study, and track it too.

**READ MORE:** [Airborne DNA Could Help Scientists Find Elusive Animals](<https://gizmodo.com/airborne-dna-could-help-scientists-find-elusive-animals-1846586077>) \[*Gizmodo*\]

**More on DNA collection:** *[Police Are Collecting DNA From People Without Telling Them](<https://futurism.com/the-byte/police-dna-database>)*

## Author
Dan Robitzki is a senior reporter for Futurism, where he likes to cover AI, tech ethics, and medicine. He spends his extra time fencing and streaming games from Los Angeles, California.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://x.com/danrobitzski>)