On the hunt for platypus DNA in Australia’s waterways

By Donna Lu

“Platypus and fish are all shedding DNA into the water – it can be skin cells, hair cells, scales,” says ecologist Josh Griffiths. “A lot of it is actually urine and faeces – which, next time you’re swimming in the river, is probably not a great picture.”

There are a few chuckles from the dozen or so members of the Moorabool Catchment Landcare Group, who have joined Griffiths at a park in Ballan, a town in Victoria, Australia, located 78 kilometres north-west of Melbourne.

Griffiths works for EnviroDNA, a …