Try not to gag: Researchers say you’re breathing animal DNA

A team of researchers from the Queen Mary University of London and the Hamerton Zoo Park recently demonstrated they could identify and collect the DNA of dozens of different species of animal by simply extracting it from the air we breathe. Side note: According to Guinness, the longest anyone’s held their breath on record is just shy of 25 minutes. Up front: Yuck. But also, wow! We’ve long known that scientists could detect environmental DNA, or eDNA as it’s called. But this study puts into perspective not only how useful this could be but how robust our ability to detect…

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