By Tim Binnall
A geneticist who conducted an enlightening environmental DNA study of Loch Ness has proposed a sequel, of sorts, in the hopes of getting a better understanding of the creatures lurking there. In the late 2010s, Professor Neil Gemmell and a team of researchers collected 250 water samples from throughout the sizeable site. These materials were subsequently sent to multiple labs where DNA was extracted and then genetically sequenced to identify the animals of origin. While the study detected an array of creatures known to live at Loch Ness, the only possible suspect for the famed 'monster' was an eel that had grown to gigantic proportions and many found that theory to be tenuous as best. Now, Gemmell hopes to conduct a new survey to dig deeper into the mystery.
Reflecting on the 2018 project to the biotech company Illumina, the geneticist responded to critics that the study was too small by conceding that "sampling a few hundreds of cubic liters of water is not much in a lake which is estimated to have something like 10 million." That said, he argued that the survey was a promising first step and put forward his ambitions for a second environmental DNA examination of the site using a wholly different method. "The power is really unlocked when we go back and sample serially, over time," he explained, "then we can see if things are changing" and presumably develop a wealth of new data.
To that end, Gemmell conceived of a passive collection system that could be put on boats that frequent Loch Ness or on locks that run along the connecting River Ness. This methodology would allow for samples to be continuously procured over time and provide an ongoing understanding of the ecosystem rather than a one-time snapshot as was the case with the original study. Calling the proposed second effort 'Loch Ness 2.0,' Gemmell sees the study as a chance to advance the development of environmental DNA research while also possibly providing some answers as to what people have been spotting in the waters of the site for so many years.