Advancing Environmental DNA Research Capacity in Rwanda to Inform Conservation Decisions Project.
An essential key to conserving biodiversity is understanding the current and historic composition of biotic communities. Environmental DNA (eDNA) is a cutting-edge tool for doing just that. It takes advantage of the fact that animals and plants shed their DNA and that DNA can reside in the sediments for 100’s to 1000’s of years. This DNA can be captured and sequenced to allow us to build a picture of both past and current environments. The Center of Excellence in Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management, University of Rwanda (UR) in partnership with researchers from the Congo Basin Institute at University of California, Los Angeles and CaleDNA at University of California, Santa Cruz are hosting a training workshop that shall take place at Akagera National Park and at the College of Science and Technology, UR. The workshop is funded by the National Geographic Society.