A Living Lab for Environmental Genomics, Biodiversity Monitoring & Ecosystem Health
What is the eNA Discovery Hub?
- The eNA Discovery Hub is a CFI-funded, multi-user facility at McGill University dedicated to advancing environmental nucleic acid (eNA) approaches—including environmental DNA (eDNA) and environmental RNA (eRNA)—for biodiversity monitoring and ecosystem health assessment.
- Environmental nucleic acids are DNA and RNA that organisms shed into their environment (for example, into water, soil, sediment, or air). These molecules can be analysed to detect species presence and biological responses without directly sampling organisms.
- The Hub brings together contamination-controlled laboratory infrastructure, high-sensitivity molecular instrumentation, and bioinformatics capacity to support research, training, and applied environmental monitoring across freshwater, marine, terrestrial, and paleo-environmental systems.
- Although physically based at McGill University, the Hub operates as a national platform with international collaborations, serving academic, government, NGO, and industry partners across Canada and beyond.
Why environmental nucleic acids (eNA)?
Environmental nucleic acids offer a powerful complement to traditional biomonitoring methods, which are often invasive, labour-intensive, and difficult to scale.
- Using eDNA, monitoring programs can detect species (or entire communities) from a single environmental sample. This enables non-invasive biodiversity surveys and early detection of invasive or rare species.
- Using eRNA, researchers can also capture information about how organisms are responding to environmental conditions such as temperature change, nutrient imbalance, or pollution.
In practice, eNA approaches support:
- Non-invasive biodiversity detection
- Early warning of invasive or rare species
- Community-level monitoring from minimal sampling
- Indicators of physiological and ecological stress
Together, eDNA and eRNA allow monitoring efforts to move beyond species lists toward more integrated assessments of biodiversity and ecosystem health.
Specialized infrastructure
The eNA Discovery Hub is purpose-built for low-concentration environmental samples and contamination-sensitive workflows.
Core facilities include:
- Physically separated pre-PCR and post-PCR laboratories
- UV-sterilized, contamination-controlled workspaces
- Automated DNA and RNA extraction platforms
- Digital PCR (dPCR) for high-sensitivity quantification
- Stations for metabarcoding and metatranscriptomic library preparation
- Secure cold storage and access to clean sequencing space
- Dedicated bioinformatics workstations
Services and user support
Beyond infrastructure, the Hub provides hands-on support to ensure high-quality, reproducible work.
This includes:
- User onboarding and clean-lab training
- Project design and sampling consultations
- Standardized field and laboratory protocols
- Molecular and bioinformatics support
- Guidance on data processing and quality control
Training & the Living Lab model
The eNA Discovery Hub operates as a Living Lab, integrating discovery science, skills training, and real-world application.
Research questions and workflows are developed in close interaction with government agencies, NGOs, and industry partners, allowing methods to be tested and refined in operational monitoring contexts rather than only under experimental conditions.
Training covers:
- Contamination-controlled molecular workflows
- Environmental sampling design
- Multi-marker molecular assays
- Bioinformatics and data interpretation
- Knowledge mobilization across sectors
Who the Hub Serves
The Hub supports a diverse and growing community of users, including:
- McGill research groups
- QCBS and GRILL partner institutions
- Federal and provincial government agencies (e.g., DFO, MELCCFP)
- Environmental NGOs and consulting partners
- Community and Indigenous monitoring initiatives
Applications include:
- Invasive species surveillance
- Long-term biodiversity monitoring
- Paleo-ecological reconstruction
- Climate and pollution stress assessment
- Fisheries and freshwater ecosystem management
Government Engagement
Engagement with government partners is central to the Hub’s mission. The facility supports applied projects, training activities, and methodological development aligned with real monitoring, management, and decision-making needs.
Leadership and Governance
Director
Dr. Melania E. Cristescu
Professor, Department of Biology
Ecological Genomics & eRNA Innovation
Co-Director
Dr. René Gregory-Eaves
Professor, Department of Biology
Freshwater Ecology & Paleo-eDNA
Hub Manager
Wing-Zheng Ho
Facility Manager & Bioinformatics Support
The Hub is guided by a multi-sector steering committee and operates under transparent access and training policies, mandatory onboarding, and shared scheduling and project intake.
Current Users
The eNA Discovery Hub already supports active projects led by researchers from multiple institutions and disciplines. Early users include academic, government, and international collaborators, reflecting strong demand for contamination-controlled infrastructure, advanced molecular tools, and applied environmental genomics expertise.
Current users and collaborators include:
- Rowan Barrett (McGill University)
- Beth Clare (York University)
- Melania E. Cristescu (McGill University)
- Alison Derry (Université du Québec à Montréal)
- Gregor Fussmann (McGill University)
- Andy Gonzalez (McGill University)
- René Gregory-Eaves (McGill University)
- Paul Hebert (University of Guelph)
- Anaïs Lacoursière (Fisheries and Oceans Canada)
- Joanne Littlefair (University College London, UK)
- Jenn Sunday (McGill University)
This growing and diverse user base highlights the Hub’s ability to support interdisciplinary research, cross-institutional collaboration, trainee mobility, and partnerships spanning academia and government.
Why This Matters
By combining species detection, functional genomics, and applied partnerships, the eNA Discovery Hub supports monitoring programs that aim not only to document environmental change, but to understand its mechanisms, timing, and ecological consequences.
Interested in Using the Hub or Partnering?
The eNA Discovery Hub welcomes interest from researchers, trainees, government partners, NGOs, and industry collaborators.