Michael Knapp • Sep 07, 2019 •
Earlier this week, my colleague Neil Gemmell released the results from his year-long hunt for the Loch Ness monster. As expected, the story attracted enormous media attention. Also, as expected, it attracted some criticism from fellow scientists pointing out how unnecessary it is to conduct such a large-scale experiment to find something that every sane person and certainly every … Read More
Guest Author • Jun 27, 2018 •
Neil Gemmell Reported sightings of the Loch Ness monster go back to the Dark Ages, but now our Super Natural History team is using the 21st-century technology of environmental DNA to survey all life in the famous Scottish lake. The premise of environmental DNA (eDNA) is simple. Life is messy, and living things leave behind skin, hair, … Read More
Guest Author • Jun 07, 2018 •
Artūrs Logins, University of Southern California – Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences You may have noticed a curious recent announcement: An international research team plans to use state-of-the-art DNA testing to establish once and for all whether the Loch Ness monster exists. Regardless of the results, it’s unlikely the test will change the mind of … Read More
Helen Taylor • Apr 13, 2017 •
I was sceptical about my lab head joining the hunt for the Loch Ness monster, until I realised it was an excellent way to promote the amazing possibilities of environmental DNA. Making a splash Last week’s news was full of tales of how my boss, Professor Neil Gemmell, was going to take on the challenge of tracking down … Read More