Pioneer in Environmental DNA Research and Biodiversity Conservation
Associated with :
ETH ZurichKristy Deiner is an Assistant Professor of Environmental DNA at ETH Zurich, where she leads groundbreaking research on biodiversity monitoring using environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques. After completing her education in Biology, including degrees from Sonoma State University and UC Davis, she established herself as a leading researcher in biodiversity conservation. Her work spans diverse ecosystems, from mountain lakes to tropical islands, focusing on developing and implementing genetic and field methods to understand population dynamics and biodiversity patterns. She currently leads the innovative LeDNA project, a global initiative involving citizen scientists across 80 countries to collect eDNA samples from lakes worldwide, creating a comprehensive snapshot of global biodiversity. Her research combines molecular techniques with traditional ecological methods to study how species interact with their environment and how these interactions shape biodiversity distribution. Deiner's work is particularly relevant in today's human-dominated world, as she develops scalable solutions for monitoring and maintaining biodiversity across different ecosystems. Her innovative approach to using eDNA as a tool for understanding biodiversity has revolutionized how scientists monitor and study ecosystem health.