Saravanan Thavamanikumar1*, Uday Divi1, Geoff Grossel, Foyez Shams2,3, Dianne Gleeson2,3 & Alejandro Trujillo-González2,3
1Biosecurity Strategy and Reform Division, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, ACT, Australia
2Centre for Conservation Ecology and Genomics, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
3Australian National eDNA Reference Centre, University of Canberra, Canberra, ACT, Australia
Environmental DNA (eDNA) and RNA (eRNA) technologies are rapidly evolving, offering quick, cost-effective, and non-destructive methods to detect the presence of target species. These technologies simplify operations, reduce risk management response times, and can be applied across various sectors needing effective early warning monitoring systems. The Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry (DAFF) has launched the National eDNA Testing Program in collaboration with the National eDNA Reference Centre to tackle emerging biosecurity challenges. This partnership has successfully developed eDNA technology for various biosecurity species, achieving a world-first in detecting khapra beetle eDNA from dirt samples collected during biosecurity interventions in Australia. Techniques such as using vacuum cleaners to gather dirt samples and multiple extraction protocols for isolating eDNA/eRNA have been thoroughly evaluated. This technology could be adapted to detect other hitchhiker pests from shipping container samples and can be trialled for early warning and response efforts. For effective operational implementation, it is crucial to establish high-quality assurance standards to ensure that assays and protocols provide reliable results across diverse applications. This presentation will detail the program, and its foundational activities aimed at meeting the evolving needs of the department through collaborative research, the development of national eDNA validation guidelines, a network of collaboration centres and proficiency testing to maintain high-quality monitoring and enforcement services.