Summer fieldwork is officially done! ✅ Last week we sampled the final four sites, covering all 40 locations planned for this summer. We simply could not finish this campaign without a minor setback—the van got stuck in the mud while leaving the last site. 🚜

Another busy week sampling our 4 intensive sites! Huge thanks to Isobel for stepping in after one of our team members was sidelined by a hand injury earlier this month. 😬🩹 #fieldwork #freshwater #eDNA

It was a pleasure to be invited to #ScienceWeek at Airfield Estate and share the exciting #eDNA research we are conducting at area52lab! 👨‍🔬

Arrived in Japan for two weeks of research and collaboration! Excited to connect with fellows and experts in #eDNA research. 🇯🇵🧬

Had a fantastic day at the National Institute for Environmental Studies (国立環境研究所) in Tsukuba. Thank you to Prof. Kondo and colleagues for their warm welcome, interest, and feedback on my presentation about HydroGen and a study on pollinators using #eDNA. 🙏🏻

Spent a memorable day at Lake Kasumigaura, enjoying its natural beauty and discussing how agriculture shapes the surrounding landscape. Grateful for the chance to explore Japan’s unique ecosystems and learn about sampling methods used at 国立環境研究所. ☀️

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This week I had the pleasure of attending the The eDNA Society annual conference, presenting my research and connecting with many inspiring people working on fascinating projects. Thankful to Sch. Biol. & Env. Sc and Marine Funding Opportunities—this would not have been possible without their support! 🎌

From Tsukuba to Sendai! Thank you Noriko Uchida for hosting me at 東北大学. It was great discussing my work and receiving your valuable comments and suggestions. Prof. Murakami was keen on testing my food comfort zone, but I really enjoyed the time with you all! ✨

On our last day together, Noriko Uchida took me to her sampling sites across the Natori River basin, describing local engineering measures (e.g., Kamafusa Dam). Reaching the coast, it was moving to see the area impacted by the 2011 tsunami—a reminder of nature’s force. 🏞️

Last week we presented our research at UCD’s World Water Day event and won one of the awards! 💧🌍 Now figuring out how to split it—weekly custody or a time-share agreement? #WorldWaterDay #UCD #WaterResearch

Congratulations to SBES Robert Moise and Michael Connell for winning Poster World Water Day early career researcher poster competition

Many thanks to Airfield Estate for hosting me last week and allowing the collection of samples for a master's project using #metabarcoding to profile the gut microbiome of farm animals. 🧬

Back to work for sampling season, year two! 🏞️ #fieldwork #freshwater #eDNA

Last week I had the chance to present a pilot study on detecting #pollinators through #eDNA at the UKDNA Working Group Conference 2025 in London. Early days but keen to explore the next steps. 🐝🧬

It was a pleasure visiting Prof. Araki and his team at Hokkaido University. Great to chat about our projects and join their monthly sampling at the Chitose River. Really fascinating to see how scientists from opposite sides of the world tackle similar questions in the field. 🗺️ #eDNA

Our summer fieldwork campaign has just started, and we have already made some new friends. 🐴 #eDNA #freshwater

Week one of our extensive summer field trips complete. Long hours and many samples collected as we reached the west coast. 🏞️ #eDNA #freshwater #fieldwork