Delivering an eDNA Master Class to boost environment management capabilities across nations

March 17, 2025

The Crawford Fund supported an environmental DNA (eDNA) Master Class run by the Charles Sturt University Gulbali Institute for Agriculture, Water and Environment,  providing industry participants with hands-on training in environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques, covering the entire workflow from field collection to bioinformatic analysis.

Sixteen participants in the class held at CSU’s Albury campus,  were from government agencies in Laos, Cambodia and Indonesia, and they all work in water and fisheries resource management areas. In addition, a number of members of the National Science Agency in Indonesia (BRIN) at CSU Albury as part of their PhD studies sat in on the course.

The training initiative started with a one-day field trip to experience eDNA sampling techniques and sites along the Ovens River in northern Victoria, followed by four days of laboratory and bioinformatics instruction.

The course instructors were:

• Alan Cooper – CSU Distinguished Prof. in Evolution and Environmental Change
• Garth Watson – CSU molecular biologist, eDNA water and sediment expert
• Michael Sinclair – CSU bioinformatics specialist, microbiomes, eDNA
• Gavin Rees – (invited speaker) CSIRO Murray Darling Basin ecosystems expert

“This Master Class focused on bridging the gap between government regulators, eDNA research and industry applications, offering participants hands-on experience in eDNA sampling, laboratory procedures, and data analysis within the context of the Murray- Darling Basin,” said Prof Alan Cooper who led the training initiative.

“By the end of the course, students were equipped to design their own sampling protocol, collect eDNA, and prepare either genomic DNA or processed DNA libraries for use in their own metagenomic research projects,” he said.

“While most participants were not active researchers, the aim was to provide sufficient skills that they could judge the utility and value of eDNA applications within the context of their own environmental management requirements,” said Alan.

Participants gained practical experience in innovative CSU aquatic eDNA sampling approaches during a field trip to representative sites within the Murray-Darling Basin, including Hume Dam, an upland river, and a lowland river. Site visits were accompanied by overviews of the Basin’s ecology provided by CSIRO experts (Dr Gavin Rees and Garth Watson from CSIRO Albury).

Laboratory skills were the focus of the next two days, including eDNA extraction, amplification, and DNA library preparation for sequencing. Finally, participants had two days of lectures and practical workshops introducing them to the principles and applications of bioinformatics in eDNA analysis, providing an introductory understanding of the data processing pipeline.

“After the Master Class all participants reported having a greater understanding of the application of eDNA methods and data in relation to their work (as administrators within government agencies) as well as actual practical skills in the collection and processing of DNA samples,” said Alan.

“The Master Class was very positively received, and the experience and feedback has been used to guide the development of future courses,” he concluded.