AWAKEN and UNAP Scientists Coordinate Creation of the First Amazon eDNA Library

As part of its recent field mission, the AWAKEN scientific team held a coordination session with researchers from the National University of the Peruvian Amazon (UNAP) in Iquitos to launch a new line of collaboration: building the first DNA library of the Amazon rainforest.

During the meetings, the teams worked on aligning how laboratories in Peru and Ukraine will cooperate in the analysis of environmental DNA (eDNA) samples and in developing standardized protocols. The goal is to create a shared platform that will catalog the genetic material of plants, animals, and bacteria from the Amazon — something that does not yet exist. Only in the past year have initial steps been taken by Peruvian researchers, particularly at the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP).

This initiative represents one of the most ambitious challenges in modern ecology: to build the first comprehensive genetic reference database for the Amazon. Such a resource will serve as the foundation for identifying species, monitoring biodiversity, and advancing scientific conservation strategies.

Looking forward, AWAKEN and UNAP are preparing to integrate artificial intelligence into this effort. The project envisions AI-powered recognition of Amazonian species through a combination of canopy scanning, LiDAR mapping, and ground-level field surveys. By training AI on DNA and visual data, the system will be able to recognize and classify up to 2,000 key tree species that dominate the Peruvian Amazon.

The creation of a DNA library and AI-based biodiversity catalog will be one of the very first steps in AWAKEN’s larger mission: the digitalization of the Amazon rainforest and the creation of its ecological digital twin. This cutting-edge database will not only support conservation but also set a new global benchmark for how ecosystems are studied and protected.