Mass surveillance fears over technology that can ‘suck DNA out the air'
Widespread DNA surveillance could be on the horizon if new technology to suck genetic data out of thin air is not regulated, the Royal Society has warned.
Environmental DNA – or eDNA – is fragments of genetic code left behind in skin, saliva and other bodily detritus which is shed as humans and other living creatures move through the world.
Scientists in recent years have proven that they can pick up and identify individuals through these genetic traces, simply by sampling the air, soil or water.
In a new report, the Royal Society said that the technique could aid in the investigation of crimes, or help spot dangerous chemicals that could indicate an imminent biosecurity threat or terror attack.
However, the report also warned that eDNA could 'potentially be used for the wrong reason', such as 'genetic surveillance, genome harvesting, covert accumulation of genetic data for malicious commercial purposes, and inadvertent location tracking or population surveillance'.
Experts warned that collecting DNA from the air was a legal 'grey area' and said people could find their genetic data being inadvertently captured without their consent, revealing private medical details.
'Increasingly long human eDNA reads have been successfully sequenced from relatively untargeted analysis, including detailed information such as ethnicity, ancestry and disease susceptibility,' the report authors warn.
'This means that in the future, individual humans could potentially be identified from a much larger range of eDNA samples.'
The Royal Society's Environmental DNA report, which is intended for policymakers, said that guidelines and standards were needed to 'safeguard the public' while still allowing the benefits from the technology.
Report authors also warned that the contamination of samples could lead to 'false positives' which 'could result in false bioterror alarms or miscarriages of justice'.
They are also concerned about 'genome harvesting' which they said was the 'unethical or malicious collection and storage of human genetic information obtained from the environment (eDNA) without consent'.
Sir Ian Boyd, Bishop Wardlaw professor at the University of St Andrews and a member of the report's review group, said: 'The rapid expansion of the field of eDNA is exciting and the potential applications are vast.
'Investing in the research infrastructure and regulatory frameworks that can adapt to these emerging uses, and their ethical or commercial implications, is vital for the UK is well placed to capitalise on opportunities – whether that's food, environmental management, public health or defence.'
Environmental DNA analysis of wastewater has already been instrumental in tracking the spread of diseases such as Covid-19, polio, and monkeypox, allowing public health interventions to be made in targeted areas.
Endangered species
Scientists are also keen to use the technology to track endangered species, while law enforcement agencies could use it to connect individuals to crime scenes or search for missing persons.
Niamh Nic Daeid, professor of forensic science and director of the Leverhulme Research Centre for Forensic Science at the University of Dundee and a member of the report's working group, said: 'The interpretation of forensic evidence can have serious and life-changing consequences.
'Forensic science research will be needed to validate eDNA techniques alongside their development so that they are fit for purpose for implementation into the criminal justice system.
'We still have a lot to learn about how eDNA can be transferred given different activities; how long it persists on different surfaces, and the background prevalence of different species' eDNA in the environment.
'Understanding this will be critical to evaluating eDNA findings and what they may contribute to an investigation of an alleged incident and presentation of any evidence in the courts.'
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