Adam Sepulveda
Cathryn L. Abbott
Zachary Gold
Alison W. Watts
Margaret Hunter
Katy E. Klymus
Shana L. Hirsch
Joseph M. Craine
Devin Nicole Jones-Slobodian
Rachel J. Brown
Joshua A. Steele
Miwa Takahashi
Rachel T. Noble
John A. Darling
Susanna Theroux
2025
<p><span>The rapid advancement of environmental DNA (</span><abbr id="ABBRID0EXAAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span>) science in the past two decades has inspired a concomitant growth in the development of </span><abbr id="ABBRID0E2AAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span> sampling and analytical methods. However, these methods are often developed by individual laboratories or institutions, which can isolate protocols within programmes, agencies or regions and prevent the beneficial exchange of data and ideas. Recent efforts to advance national and international coordination have resulted in a groundswell of standardisation efforts, but there is still considerable confusion around the role of formal standards for regulatory or research applications. With this commentary, we hope to provide clarity on the terminology used in standardisation discussions, including the differences between formal standards and best practice guidelines. Additionally, we discuss how </span><abbr id="ABBRID0E6AAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span> method choice may be informed by environmental management scenarios and review examples of formal </span><abbr id="ABBRID0EDBAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span> method standards being used to inform management action. The </span><abbr id="ABBRID0EHBAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span> community now has an opportunity to develop a roadmap for method development to help close standardisation gaps, advance </span><abbr id="ABBRID0ELBAC" title="environmental DNA">eDNA</abbr><span> method adoption and accelerate our ability to monitor biological life at the scales our current environmental challenges demand.</span></p>
application/pdf
10.3897/mbmg.9.132076
en
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What is eDNA method standardization and why do we need it?
article