Public methods
Live Census (eRNA Activity Survey)
Lake Pulse reports measurements. It does not score, rate, rank or forecast lakes or properties.
What it measures
What's detected & how
2 targets · eRNA activity survey (metabarcoding)
- Value type
- Not published
| Target | What's reported |
|---|---|
| RNA of the living, active community | Active taxa; samples positive (x of 3); relative read abundance |
| Functional activity | Stress-response and toxin-gene expression markers |
- RNA of the living, active community
- What's reported:
- Active taxa; samples positive (x of 3); relative read abundance
- Functional activity
- What's reported:
- Stress-response and toxin-gene expression markers
You get
- Active-community list and activity markers in your lake's Flora & Fauna
- Laboratory report and raw sequence files (FASTQ) in Documents & Reports
How it's produced
- Test type
- eRNA activity survey (metabarcoding)
- Sample
- Three preserved water samples, collected by you
- Analyzed by
- Genetic partner laboratory
- Method
- eRNA metabarcoding
- Turnaround
- 15–20 business days from lab receipt
- Method basis
- Peer-reviewed molecular method; not EPA-approved
How (lab/instrument, method)
- Test type
- eRNA activity survey (metabarcoding)
- Sample
- Three preserved water samples, collected by you
- Analyzed by
- Genetic partner laboratory
- Method
- eRNA metabarcoding
- Turnaround
- 15–20 business days from lab receipt
- Method basis
- Peer-reviewed molecular method; not EPA-approved
Limits (MDL/RL, resolution, interval)
Published limits appear with their parameters in the measurement box above. Unspecified detection limits, reporting limits, resolution, and reading intervals are not inferred.
Value type
Not supplied in the product's published methods.
What it can and can't tell you
Every result shows the date and time each sample was collected. eDNA and eRNA detect genetic material, not organisms directly. DNA can persist after an organism has left or died, and can arrive from upstream or on boats, birds, or bait. Read counts reflect relative genetic signal, not the number, size, or biomass of organisms. Species names depend on reference-library coverage; some detections resolve only to genus or family. A detection is evidence to follow up, not confirmation that a population is established, and a non-detection does not prove absence. These are not EPA-approved methods and are not a regulatory determination. Results can help you make decisions about safe swimming and water use, but no result is definitive for every place and time. It is always good practice to check posted signs and your state or local health authorities. RNA indicates recent biological activity. Activity markers are relative within this survey.
Version and last updated date
- Methods version
- Not supplied in the product's published methods.
- Last updated
- Not supplied in the product's published methods.
