A study from the University of Florida has found human DNA almost everywhere, even in isolated areas such as the ocean, riverways, and air. The researchers were able to sequence this environmental DNA to the extent that they could identify disease-related mutations and the genetic ancestry of nearby populations. The use of this eDNA could have significant applications in fields like medicine, environmental science, archaeology, and criminal forensics, according to project leader, David Duffy.
That ubiquity is both a scientific boon and an ethical dilemma, say the UF researchers who sequenced this widespread DNA. The DNA was of such high quality that the scientists could identify mutations associated with disease and determine the genetic ancestry of nearby populations. They could even match genetic information to individual participants who had volunteered to have their errant DNA recovered.
But this level of personal information must be handled extremely carefully. Now, scientists and regulators must grapple with the ethical dilemmas inherent in accidentally — or intentionally — sweeping up human genetic information, not from blood samples but from a scoop of sand, a vial of water or a person’s breath., the paper by Duffy’s group outlines the relative ease of collecting human DNA nearly everywhere they looked.
Because of the ability to potentially identify individuals, the researchers say that ethical guardrails are necessary for this kind of research. The study was conducted with approval from the institutional review board of UF, which ensures that ethical guidelines are adhered to during research studies.
The scientists knew that human eDNA would end up in their turtle samples and probably many other places they looked. With modern genetic sequencing technology, it’s now straightforward to sequence the DNA of every organism in an environmental sample. The questions were how much human DNA there would be and whether it was intact enough to harbor useful information.
The scientists also collected room air samples from a veterinary hospital. They recovered DNA matching the staff, the animal patient, and common animal viruses.