Wendy Morgado

Massive effort led by Postdoc @xiaopinghe.bsky.social
Using eRNA-based metatranscriptomics, we uncovered how freshwater eukaryotic communities respond to environmental stress — expanding the potential of eRNA for tracking biodiversity and functional responses across diverse taxa.

Environmental RNA‐Based Metatranscriptomics as a Novel Biomonitoring Tool: A Case Study of Glyphosate‐Based Herbicide Effects on Freshwater Eukaryotic Communities Traditional morphology- and molecular-based biodiversity surveys provide essential information on species composition and diversity, but they rarely provide information about the physiological states...

New paper out in Molecular Ecology! We used eRNA-based metatranscriptomics to characterize freshwater eukaryotic communities and analyze gene expression responses to environmental stress across diverse eukaryotic taxa. @wbmorgadog.bsky.social #eRNA #eDNA onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Environmental RNA as a transformative tool for aquatic ecosystem health assessment: progress and challenges The assessment of aquatic ecosystem health is undergoing a paradigm shift from traditional physicochemical monitoring to molecular biological monitori…

Excellent review on environmental RNA — clear overview of advances and challenges in this fast-moving field.
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

YouTube video by Wendy Beatriz Morgado Gamero Sampling environmental DNA and RNA from water samples

In environmental genomics, DNA & RNA from water, soil, or air let us detect biodiversity and support conservation.
But it all starts with careful sampling — avoiding contamination and running quality checks to ensure reliable results. 🌍✨
#eDNA #eRNA #Fieldwork #Science youtube.com/shorts/eLGPC...

10,000 Arthropods in a Hectare: What We Found Crawling, Flying, and Hiding in Panama’s Rainforest Post provided by Daniel Souto-Vilarós. I’m a molecular ecologist who currently works as a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Utah, with a long-standing obsession with biodiversity. While …

Head over to the methods blog and check out our new post!

Read about how Daniel Souto-Vilarós and his team processed arthropod bulk-collections from seven different protocols with DNA metabarcoding 🐛🐜👇

Picture by Sophie Gaffney, undergrad student in microbiology at McGill university

Meet 𝘋𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘯𝘪𝘢 𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘦𝘹 🔬✨

These tiny freshwater organisms helped us study how environmental DNA & RNA (eNAs) degrade and persist in water. Even the smallest creatures can reveal big insights about biodiversity and ecosystem health. @biomcgill.bsky.social

#eDNA #eRNA #Daphnia #Science

It's not all about DNA. RNA could transform real-time environmental surveillance By vanishing quickly, RNA avoids DNA’s problem of lingering too long, giving ecologists a sharper, more immediate picture of life in lakes, rivers, and beyond.

It's not all about DNA. RNA could transform real-time environmental surveillance.


By vanishing quickly, RNA avoids DNA’s problem of lingering too long, giving ecologists a sharper, more immediate picture of life in lakes, rivers, and beyond.
www.anthropocenemagazine.org/?p=238665

How environmental RNA can give us a real-time picture of freshwater biodiversity Recent studies have demonstrated that eRNA, previously considered too unstable for field use, can be reliably detected in freshwater ecosystems.

How environmental RNA can give us a real-time picture of freshwater biodiversity

How environmental RNA can give us a real-time picture of freshwater biodiversity Recent studies have demonstrated that eRNA, previously considered too unstable for field use, can be reliably detected in freshwater ecosystems.

Excited to share a new Conversation article with @otournayre.bsky.social 🧬at @biomcgill.bsky.social
We show that environmental RNA, long considered too unstable, can actually give us a snapshot of what’s alive right now in lakes and rivers.

🔗 theconversation.com/how-environm...

Camping in Vermont

Comparative Decay Dynamics and Detectability of eDNA and eRNA in Connected and Isolated Freshwater Mesocosms Using Digital PCR Efficient use of environmental nucleic acids (eNAs) in freshwater biodiversity monitoring requires understanding their degradation and detectability in interconnected ecosystems. We employed a novel ....

🧬 ¡Nueva publicación! En nuestro estudio mostramos que el eRNA puede detectarse incluso tras dilución extrema en agua dulce.
Una herramienta prometedora para monitorear biodiversidad en tiempo real. @biomcgill.bsky.social
📖 doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.70028
#eRNA #biodiversidad #McGill #CristescuLab

📢 New #eDNA and #eRNA study!🧬
We used dPCR to compare #decay rates and #detectability across 4 #markers (16S, 18S, COI, LDHA) in 1000L freshwater mesocosms.
Massive effort led by PhD student ‪@wbmorgadog.bsky.social‬
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...

Comparative Decay Dynamics and Detectability of eDNA and eRNA in Connected and Isolated Freshwater Mesocosms Using Digital PCR Efficient use of environmental nucleic acids (eNAs) in freshwater biodiversity monitoring requires understanding their degradation and detectability in interconnected ecosystems. We employed a novel ...

New study published in MER: eDNA/eRNA decay and detectability in connected 1000-L mesocosms. eRNA decays faster than eDNA; digital PCR quantified detection across a wide dilution gradient (to 1:10,000). OA: doi.org/10.1111/1755...
Co-authors: @otournayre.bsky.social & Melania Cristescu. #Science

Key takeaways: eRNA degraded significantly faster than eDNA across markers; dPCR kept detection high even under strong dilution—signals still reached the terminal mesocosm. Huge thanks to everyone who helped.
With @otournayre.bsky.social & Melania Cristescu
#dPCR #MolecularEcology

Schematic of four connected 1000-L mesocosms (C1–C4) with unidirectional transfers creating 1:10, 1:100, 1:1000 and 1:10,000 dilutions, plus an isolated mesocosm. Sampling timeline spans 0 to 24 days to track eDNA/eRNA decay and transport

4 connected ponds (C1→C4) with serial dilutions plus an isolated control; sampled up to 24 days. This lets us test detectability across the network.

Comparative Decay Dynamics and Detectability of eDNA and eRNA in Connected and Isolated Freshwater Mesocosms Using Digital PCR Efficient use of environmental nucleic acids (eNAs) in freshwater biodiversity monitoring requires understanding their degradation and detectability in interconnected ecosystems. We employed a novel ....

🎉Our paper is out in Molecular Ecology Resources! We tracked eDNA vs eRNA decay in connected & isolated 1000-L mesocosms using dPCR. eRNA decays faster, and both signals can move across the network. OA: doi.org/10.1111/1755...
With @otournayre.bsky.social & Melania Cristescu
#eDNA #eRNA #Freshwater

First national survey of terrestrial biodiversity using airborne eDNA - Scientific Reports Scientific Reports - First national survey of terrestrial biodiversity using airborne eDNA

🚨Turning air quality networks into a global #biodiversity monitoring system?
Air pollution filters were repurposed for #airborne #eDNA, enabling detection of #vertebrates, #invertebrates, #plants & #fungi at a national scale.🧬🌐🧪
📄Check out our new paper: www.nature.com/articles/s41...