Do Your DNA Duty: Collect Wild Animal Poop and Dog Saliva for Science

You can help collect data for scientific studies by mailing researchers your dog's saliva, samples of the forest floor and even spiny anteater scat.

Citizen Science Salon iconCitizen Science Salon
By Bob Hirshon
Mar 9, 2020 11:00 PMMar 10, 2020 2:04 AM
Puppy Dog Eyes - Shutterstock
(Credit: Fotyma/Shutterstock)

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Genome sequencing technology is advancing at a breathtaking pace. In the decades since the Human Genome Project, scientists have developed the tools to rapidly analyze huge amounts of genetic material. You can now learn about your ancestry -- or even your pet's pedigree -- in just weeks thanks to mail-in services like 23andme.

And it's not just companies building up these large pools of genetic information, either. Many scientists are conducting large-scale studies that require abundant DNA samples. These researchers need your help building their datasets by collecting everything from your pet's saliva to spiny anteater poop.

(Credit: Gladskikh Tatiana/Shutterstock)
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