New eDNA lab will expand biodiversity monitoring efforts in Bhutan

The opening of Bhutan’s first environmental DNA (eDNA) lab at the College of Natural Resources in April 2025 will now enable eDNA analysis to be done in the country.Bhutan is leveraging an innovative biodiversity monitoring tool called environmental DNA (eDNA) to create its first nationwide biodiversity assessment without the need for thousands of hours of surveying through harsh and inaccessible terrain. However, analyzing these samples brings new challenges—eDNA samples have to be sent abroad for analysis, which is expensive, time-consuming, and can raise concerns about sharing a country’s genetic material internationally.