eDNA, or environmental DNA, has rapidly emerged as a powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring. In this interview, Alice Valentini, co-founder and Head of Research at SPYGEN, shared her experiences and insights regarding related eDNA reference libraries standards and her knowledge through her company which is placed between academia and the private sector.
A eDNA-based hybrid company: a linkage between academia & the private sector
eDNA is becoming more and more popular through the last decade, finding its applications in monitoring biodiversity. now arriving into the private sector where different companies offer eDNA related services, such as using it as a tool to monitor biodiversity. An example of this is SPYGEN, which is a genetic laboratory specialized in the analysis of eDNA.
According to Alice, co-founder and Research officer at SPYGEN, one of the aims of this mission-led company is to “innovate for the service of surveillance, knowledge, and protection of all living beings”. The laboratory also focuses on the development of new methods for the analysis of eDNA for different environments and taxonomic groups.
One of the particularities of SPYGEN is that it is a hybrid between a private company and academia since it develops research in collaboration with academics and the laboratory makes research on its own and publishes papers concerning its finding that are open to the public.
eDNA and its credibility on the biodiversity field
Alice tells that the beginning of SPYGEN was challenging due to the lack of knowledge on eDNA methods thus bringing limitations to the implementation of their research and services. Alice even highlights that it has been nearly 20 years since eDNA was first applied to macroinvertebrates. Alice continues, “Now, environmental DNA-based approaches have demonstrated their reliability and effectiveness in biodiversity surveys as it is commonly used for different projects”. She also highlighted that eDNA even starts to be implemented in policymaking.
Standardisation: A challenge of adaptation
Even though eDNA methods and applications are further accepted and recognized nowadays some challenges still exist, for example, the standardisation of eDNA analysis methods, including on genetic reference libraries. For Alice, these standards should be adapted to the questions that are being asked. She mentions “For example, if we want to look at rare species, we need to have standards that, for example, increase the volume of water sampled”. Or, she continues, that pinpoint the number of technical replicates that are being used or have a higher sequencing depth, and the type of community that is being studies, for example it won’t be the same method for studying fish or bacteria.
SPYGEN has developed a different approach to answer the questions that might come to their laboratory. Notably, for the company one of the key topics is rare species therefore they have adapted the standards they use to answer this question, in this case they use a bigger filter that allows to analyse a large volume of water so they can sample other taxonomic groups. Thus, they have adapted the standard to the question they are trying to answer.
“eDNA standards are very important, they can be at any level of the workflow. And, if we use the same standard, it’s possible to compare samples over time and space”
The contrast between academia and the private sector on eDNA standardisation
Standards for eDNA implementation are both used by academia and the private sector, but from SPYGEN perspective, though being a hybrid between these two, there is a key difference for the latter: the quality control.
Alice, mentions that “As a company we need to guarantee the results so we cannot have false positives or false negatives since it can be far more impactful… We have different steps of control at each phase”. Notably, for decision-making a result that does not have a high quality standard can mislead policies or projects that can impact biodiversity for example.
Moreover, SPYGEN publishes through scientific publications the protocols that the laboratory uses for making their different studies, thus contributing to eDNA knowledge. Highlighting its performance as a hybrid between academia and the private sector.
Reference libraries and standardisation
According to Alice, “standards are fundamental” and reference libraries are crucial to having a good result of a study based on eDNA, she continues: “it is a key step for the analysis because the species identification relies on the reference database. An error in the reference database means false positives. Therefore, accurate and good reference databases are very important”.
SPYGEN has even shared some reference databases that have been developed by the company through scientific publications whilst also collaborating with academics in different fields.
eDNA standardisation and policy-making
Policy-making can enhance the development and application of standards based on eDNA methodologies. Alice mentions that there are different countries that have worked on streamlining some eDNA standards.
Furthermore, Alice highlights that “policy-makers have started to understand the role of environmental eDNA”, such as with the French biodiversity plan and the United States with their strategy on eDNA.
“Governments start to understand the importance of environmental DNA and they are starting to implement it in their policies and projects financing”
Alice’s insights provide a valuable perspective on the current state and future potential of eDNA in biodiversity monitoring. As the technology matures, there are increasing opportunities to integrate it into various sectors, from environmental policy to community-based conservation efforts.
The private sector, such as SPYGEN hybrid example, continues to play a pivotal role in this journey, helping bridge the gap between innovative science and practical application. As we look ahead, the company’s experience and expertise will undoubtedly contribute to advancing eDNA as a robust and widely accepted tool for understanding and protecting our planet’s biodiversity.