One species, one question: is it alive and active here now?
One target species per kit. Not sure? Pick the invasive already found in nearby or connected lakes, or ask the Boathouse.
The Boathouse confirms every target against the lab's validated assays before your kit ships.
Name one target species above to add this assay to your cart.
A DNA detection tells you a species' genetic material was in the water. It does not tell you why. A zebra mussel signal at a busy boat launch could mean an established colony — or a contaminated boat that visited last week. Those two situations call for very different responses, and Live Watch is built to tell them apart.
Live Watch looks for the RNA of one named species, using a targeted assay. Because RNA begins degrading within minutes to hours of leaving a living cell, a positive result is strong evidence the organism is alive and active where you sampled, not just that its DNA passed through.
It also means eRNA cannot be collected the way eDNA is. Valid eRNA sampling requires high-volume pumped filtration to concentrate enough viable transcript signal, and immediate on-site chemical preservation to lock the snapshot before it breaks down. That is what the Osprey platform, supplied by our genomics partner, is built to do.
Use it to confirm, not to screen: after a Species Watch or Lake Census detection, to check whether a treated or removed population is still active, or where a response decision depends on knowing the organism is alive. Sold in sets of three sampling locations — typically the detection site and two nearby.
One of four genetic tests. “Census” reads the whole community; “Watch” looks for one named species. Lake Census and Species Watch read DNA; the two “Live” tests read RNA, which only living, active organisms produce.
Most lakes should start broad and narrow down: census first, then watch, then confirm. Which genetic test should your lake start with?
Note on methodology: eRNA analysis is not an EPA-approved method. It is a research-grade ecological tool, and results are not suitable for regulatory or compliance use.
1 target · Targeted species eRNA assay
| Target | What's reported |
|---|---|
| One named species (RNA), selected at checkout | Active RNA detected / Not detected, per location |
Kit ships in 1–2 business days
Flat-rate to your front door. Shipping details
E-RNA-002
Not detected at 3 of 3 locations
Not proof of absence.
No active RNA recovered on that day. Not proof of absence
Results are available in 15 - 20 business days of the lab receiving your samples.
Results from this product land in your lake's shared record in the Portal — next to everything else your lake has ever measured, instead of in an inbox.
Compare subscriptionsEvery 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. A not-detected result means no active RNA was recovered at that location on that day.
Our team can help you choose the right solution for your lake, explain how results sync to your Portal, or point you to the right subscription.
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