DNA floating in air reveals the hidden past of ecosystems

This Umeå University press release by Sara-Lena Brännström presents our 2025 Nature Communications study, which shows how archived air filters can be used to reconstruct long-term biodiversity change across Sweden. It explains how decades-old atmospheric monitoring samples have unintentionally preserved environmental DNA, creating a unique ecological archive that allows researchers to revisit past ecosystems.

The article highlights how this approach reveals clear biodiversity trends over time and demonstrates the potential of airborne DNA to transform historical monitoring data into a powerful tool for ecological research.