Micaela Hellström from AquaBiota is now a member of the scientific committee in the five year EU project called Developing new genetic tools for bioassessment of aquatic ecosystems in Europe (COST Action CA15219). The project is also called DNAqua-Net (http://dnaqua.net/) and deals with the implementation and refinement of environmental DNA (eDNA) according to the EU-Water Framework Directive (WFD). eDNA sampling means that the DNA tracks that all organisms leave in the environment are analyzed and used as survey method. Scientists from over 40 countries are participating in the project. The largest working group (WG3) within DNAqua-Net will decide about sampling and extraction protocols for freshwater and marine environments. Micaela is heading a subgroup dealing with method development in both marine and freshwater. Information from the project will be shared with the Swedish eDNA network, and the results will be prepared before the Swedish eDNA meeting in Gothenburg April 2017.
Micaela also presented newly developed eDNA methods at the DNAqua-Net congress in Essen, Germany in march this year. She also participated in working groups within the scientific area.
COST is the longest-running European framework supporting trans-national cooperation among researchers, engineers and scholars across Europe.
Contact at AquaBiota: Micaela Hellström
Photo: Florian Leese, University of Duisburg-Essen