The air is full of DNA — here’s what scientists are using it for

This Nature News Feature by Aisling Irwin explores the emerging field of airborne DNA and highlights researchers using it to study ecosystems, detect species, and monitor environmental change.

The article features Per Stenberg and the Swedish air filter archive as a key example of how long-term atmospheric monitoring data can be repurposed to reconstruct biodiversity over decades.

The SweBITS project is placed within a broader global context, showing how airborne DNA is rapidly developing into a powerful tool for ecological monitoring and conservation science.