Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
@pedrobd.bsky.social
Biologist, molecular ecologist🧑🔬 , eDNA nerd 🧬, birder 🐦, coin collector 🪙, insect enjoyer 🐜, Brazilian mineiro, and more.
Currently a Postdoc in the Kelly Lab at UW.
Currently a Postdoc in the Kelly Lab at UW.
Pinned
Estimating Organism Abundance Using Within-Sample Haplotype Frequencies of eDNA Metabarcoding Data
Environmental DNA (eDNA) metabarcoding provides powerful insights into species presence and community composition, but remains limited in its ability to quantify species abundance or structure. Here, ...
doi.org
I had an idea—just a hunch, really— on how to link #Popgen and #eDNA.
I was lucky to be in a lab that embraced curiosity, open discussion, and let me run with it.
One year, many equations, and a few too many simulations later, here’s the result:
🧬 Preprint now live: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
I was lucky to be in a lab that embraced curiosity, open discussion, and let me run with it.
One year, many equations, and a few too many simulations later, here’s the result:
🧬 Preprint now live: doi.org/10.1101/2025...
Apparently bats 🦇 have never evolved to become flightless, while birds 🐓 have done it over 150 times and insects many others as well.
Old news for many, but someone just told me that and now I have been thinking about it for a long time.
Old news for many, but someone just told me that and now I have been thinking about it for a long time.
November 21, 2025 at 2:57 AM
Apparently bats 🦇 have never evolved to become flightless, while birds 🐓 have done it over 150 times and insects many others as well.
Old news for many, but someone just told me that and now I have been thinking about it for a long time.
Old news for many, but someone just told me that and now I have been thinking about it for a long time.
This tiny thing is a fully functional thermocycler for up to 16 tubes.🤯
🧬 We will pair it with a MinION sequencer, an e-Gel and a tiny centrifuge for a field deployable eDNA lab that fits inside a suitcase.
#eDNA
🧬 We will pair it with a MinION sequencer, an e-Gel and a tiny centrifuge for a field deployable eDNA lab that fits inside a suitcase.
#eDNA
November 21, 2025 at 1:12 AM
This tiny thing is a fully functional thermocycler for up to 16 tubes.🤯
🧬 We will pair it with a MinION sequencer, an e-Gel and a tiny centrifuge for a field deployable eDNA lab that fits inside a suitcase.
#eDNA
🧬 We will pair it with a MinION sequencer, an e-Gel and a tiny centrifuge for a field deployable eDNA lab that fits inside a suitcase.
#eDNA
Funny geographic coincidence: drill straight through my hometown in Brazil and you land in the Philippine Sea… where I’ll be on a #UW #CRESST research cruise in a couple of months!!
Instead of New Year’s with family, I’ll be as far from home as I could get without being an astronaut 👨🚀.
#science
Instead of New Year’s with family, I’ll be as far from home as I could get without being an astronaut 👨🚀.
#science
November 19, 2025 at 3:48 AM
Reason 272 to dislike coding: the code worked fine yesterday but does not work today.
November 17, 2025 at 4:49 PM
Reason 272 to dislike coding: the code worked fine yesterday but does not work today.
Nothing like starting the day with a well-written and relevant paper.
Today’s pick was genuinely rewarding to read, so I’m sharing it:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Kudos to @katfiishn.bsky.social
Today’s pick was genuinely rewarding to read, so I’m sharing it:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Kudos to @katfiishn.bsky.social
How Fragmented Is eDNA? A Case Study on Shark DNA in Tropical Reef Seawater
This study quantified mitochondrial eDNA fragment lengths in offshore tropical seawater using qPCR assays targeting amplicons from 119 to 15,727 bp in tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier). Copy numbers st...
onlinelibrary.wiley.com
November 13, 2025 at 7:57 PM
Nothing like starting the day with a well-written and relevant paper.
Today’s pick was genuinely rewarding to read, so I’m sharing it:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Kudos to @katfiishn.bsky.social
Today’s pick was genuinely rewarding to read, so I’m sharing it:
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/...
Kudos to @katfiishn.bsky.social
Just received an invitation to volunteer as an editor for a for-profit publisher that charges thousands in fees.
Nope.
"But it counts on your CV!"
🙄
Nope.
"But it counts on your CV!"
🙄
November 7, 2025 at 6:34 PM
Just received an invitation to volunteer as an editor for a for-profit publisher that charges thousands in fees.
Nope.
"But it counts on your CV!"
🙄
Nope.
"But it counts on your CV!"
🙄
On our survey, someone "does not believe #eDNA" because it has given them "nonsensical results". Which result, you ask?
Wolves in the city. 🐾
Well... 🐕🐩🐶🦮
Wolves in the city. 🐾
Well... 🐕🐩🐶🦮
November 4, 2025 at 7:31 PM
On our survey, someone "does not believe #eDNA" because it has given them "nonsensical results". Which result, you ask?
Wolves in the city. 🐾
Well... 🐕🐩🐶🦮
Wolves in the city. 🐾
Well... 🐕🐩🐶🦮
Reposted by Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
New study finds autonomous #eDNA samplers are scalable ecological monitoring tools.
🧬 Read the publication at
researchgate.net/publication/...
#ecology #marinescience #environmentalmonitoring
🧬 Read the publication at
researchgate.net/publication/...
#ecology #marinescience #environmentalmonitoring
(PDF) A State‐Of‐The‐Art Review of Aquatic eDNA Sampling Technologies and Instrumentation: Advancements, Challenges, and Future Prospects
PDF | The field of environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis has revolutionized our ability to detect and monitor biodiversity in aquatic and terrestrial... | Find, read and cite all the research you need on ...
researchgate.net
November 4, 2025 at 5:09 PM
New study finds autonomous #eDNA samplers are scalable ecological monitoring tools.
🧬 Read the publication at
researchgate.net/publication/...
#ecology #marinescience #environmentalmonitoring
🧬 Read the publication at
researchgate.net/publication/...
#ecology #marinescience #environmentalmonitoring
When I say I am lucky for bad luck, people think I am joking
Have you ever been at the louvre and it got ROBBED the moment you arrived?
Well, it just happened to me LOL
Have you ever been at the louvre and it got ROBBED the moment you arrived?
Well, it just happened to me LOL
October 19, 2025 at 7:42 PM
When I say I am lucky for bad luck, people think I am joking
Have you ever been at the louvre and it got ROBBED the moment you arrived?
Well, it just happened to me LOL
Have you ever been at the louvre and it got ROBBED the moment you arrived?
Well, it just happened to me LOL
Happy 1000th life bird day!! 🐦 🥳
I went into a nearby hotspot today to get this done... it was a great one, complete with friendly local birders. 56 total sp with 13 lifers at once, which put me at 1004 life birds!
Not sure who the exact 1000th bird was, my best guess is the Water Rail!
I went into a nearby hotspot today to get this done... it was a great one, complete with friendly local birders. 56 total sp with 13 lifers at once, which put me at 1004 life birds!
Not sure who the exact 1000th bird was, my best guess is the Water Rail!
October 16, 2025 at 10:25 AM
Happy 1000th life bird day!! 🐦 🥳
I went into a nearby hotspot today to get this done... it was a great one, complete with friendly local birders. 56 total sp with 13 lifers at once, which put me at 1004 life birds!
Not sure who the exact 1000th bird was, my best guess is the Water Rail!
I went into a nearby hotspot today to get this done... it was a great one, complete with friendly local birders. 56 total sp with 13 lifers at once, which put me at 1004 life birds!
Not sure who the exact 1000th bird was, my best guess is the Water Rail!
🚀 The @ednacollab.bsky.social just launched the DIYNAFLUOR Microgrant 2025!
They’re offering materials + support to build a low-cost DIY fluorometer for eDNA quantification.
It can be as effective as Qubit at a % of the cost.
Great opportunity for anyone in #eDNA, #DIYBio, #CitizenScience 👇
They’re offering materials + support to build a low-cost DIY fluorometer for eDNA quantification.
It can be as effective as Qubit at a % of the cost.
Great opportunity for anyone in #eDNA, #DIYBio, #CitizenScience 👇
October 15, 2025 at 6:58 PM
🚀 The @ednacollab.bsky.social just launched the DIYNAFLUOR Microgrant 2025!
They’re offering materials + support to build a low-cost DIY fluorometer for eDNA quantification.
It can be as effective as Qubit at a % of the cost.
Great opportunity for anyone in #eDNA, #DIYBio, #CitizenScience 👇
They’re offering materials + support to build a low-cost DIY fluorometer for eDNA quantification.
It can be as effective as Qubit at a % of the cost.
Great opportunity for anyone in #eDNA, #DIYBio, #CitizenScience 👇
It turns out you can buy a monthly public transit pass and save money in Paris!😄🐓
(But it is valid from the first calendar day of the month, not the day you first use it)😑
You can also buy a weekly 7 day pass!
(But its valid from Monday to Sunday of a given week, not any 7 consecutive days)🥴
(But it is valid from the first calendar day of the month, not the day you first use it)😑
You can also buy a weekly 7 day pass!
(But its valid from Monday to Sunday of a given week, not any 7 consecutive days)🥴
October 15, 2025 at 9:44 AM
It turns out you can buy a monthly public transit pass and save money in Paris!😄🐓
(But it is valid from the first calendar day of the month, not the day you first use it)😑
You can also buy a weekly 7 day pass!
(But its valid from Monday to Sunday of a given week, not any 7 consecutive days)🥴
(But it is valid from the first calendar day of the month, not the day you first use it)😑
You can also buy a weekly 7 day pass!
(But its valid from Monday to Sunday of a given week, not any 7 consecutive days)🥴
New paper shows that spotting rare birds increases the odds of people starting a checklist, thus data is a little biases.
Makes sense ... I do the same! On routine walks or usual hikes I skip eBird, but when something unusual 🦤 (or a lifer!) appears, I can’t resist starting an eBird list 😅
Makes sense ... I do the same! On routine walks or usual hikes I skip eBird, but when something unusual 🦤 (or a lifer!) appears, I can’t resist starting an eBird list 😅
Large citizen science datasets are powerful tools for biodiversity science, but they may have biases. Nice new paper from @louisbackstrom.bsky.social et al. showing that for eBird and Birdtrack lists there is a tendency for rare species to be over-represented
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10....
October 14, 2025 at 5:04 PM
New paper shows that spotting rare birds increases the odds of people starting a checklist, thus data is a little biases.
Makes sense ... I do the same! On routine walks or usual hikes I skip eBird, but when something unusual 🦤 (or a lifer!) appears, I can’t resist starting an eBird list 😅
Makes sense ... I do the same! On routine walks or usual hikes I skip eBird, but when something unusual 🦤 (or a lifer!) appears, I can’t resist starting an eBird list 😅
Reposted by Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
Only negative controls amplified.
In honor of spooky month, share a 4 word horror story that only someone in your profession would understand
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
I'll go first: Six page commercial lease.
October 12, 2025 at 1:46 PM
Only negative controls amplified.
Reposted by Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉
Multi-generational vulture nests hold 700 years of human artifacts
Crossbow bolts, sandals, slingshots, and more.
www.popsci.com
October 3, 2025 at 1:06 PM
super cool study found human artifacts in Bearded vulture nests, incl. "weaponry like a crossbow bolt and wooden lance, decorated sheep leather, and parts of a slingshot....a shoe made from twigs and grass is ~675-years-old." link to paper: doi.org/10.1002/ecy..... www.popsci.com/environment/... 🧪🌍🦉
Reposted by Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
Pre-print em português (sorry @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social ) do nosso artigo publicado recentemente na PECON disponível no @ecoevorxiv.bsky.social
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Ciclos irregulares de financiamento no Brasil são uma barreira à conservação da biodiversidade e à liderança global do país
ecoevorxiv.org
October 5, 2025 at 2:55 PM
Pre-print em português (sorry @biorxivpreprint.bsky.social ) do nosso artigo publicado recentemente na PECON disponível no @ecoevorxiv.bsky.social
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
ecoevorxiv.org/repository/v...
Reposted by Pedro Brandão-Dias F Pinto
🚨 New #OpenAccess paper in #Environmental #DNA! 🚨
Led by #TimGoodall @ukceh.bsky.social with @danread.bsky.social we tested whether #soil #eDNA metabarcoding can capture plant #biodiversity & vegetation cover across the UK 🌱
🔗 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Led by #TimGoodall @ukceh.bsky.social with @danread.bsky.social we tested whether #soil #eDNA metabarcoding can capture plant #biodiversity & vegetation cover across the UK 🌱
🔗 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Deciphering Landscape‐Scale Plant Cover and Biodiversity From Soil eDNA
Biodiversity surveys are essential but challenging to conduct at scale, prompting this study to evaluate soil-extracted eDNA as a proxy for traditional field-based surveys for describing plant commun...
doi.org
September 29, 2025 at 5:42 PM
🚨 New #OpenAccess paper in #Environmental #DNA! 🚨
Led by #TimGoodall @ukceh.bsky.social with @danread.bsky.social we tested whether #soil #eDNA metabarcoding can capture plant #biodiversity & vegetation cover across the UK 🌱
🔗 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
Led by #TimGoodall @ukceh.bsky.social with @danread.bsky.social we tested whether #soil #eDNA metabarcoding can capture plant #biodiversity & vegetation cover across the UK 🌱
🔗 doi.org/10.1002/edn3...
I have gone through Fig 2 of my upcoming paper ~20x now. Every time, I find a small error that I hadn't seen before, which triggers a series of ~10 steps and 5 min of work to update it. It`s a complex figure.
If y`all find an error in it while reading the paper, please DO NOT tell me. Thank you 🥰
If y`all find an error in it while reading the paper, please DO NOT tell me. Thank you 🥰
October 4, 2025 at 5:08 AM
I have gone through Fig 2 of my upcoming paper ~20x now. Every time, I find a small error that I hadn't seen before, which triggers a series of ~10 steps and 5 min of work to update it. It`s a complex figure.
If y`all find an error in it while reading the paper, please DO NOT tell me. Thank you 🥰
If y`all find an error in it while reading the paper, please DO NOT tell me. Thank you 🥰
How many Nanopores is too many Nanopores to have running all at once? Well, @AdenIp has four (!!!!) up here at the @ednacollab.bsky.social right now 💢💢💢💢
Why, you ask?
"Why not?" - he says
Lots of air eDNA data coming out of the oven (literally, these basicalling GPUs warm up the room a lot 🔥🔥🔥)
Why, you ask?
"Why not?" - he says
Lots of air eDNA data coming out of the oven (literally, these basicalling GPUs warm up the room a lot 🔥🔥🔥)
October 3, 2025 at 4:07 AM
How many Nanopores is too many Nanopores to have running all at once? Well, @AdenIp has four (!!!!) up here at the @ednacollab.bsky.social right now 💢💢💢💢
Why, you ask?
"Why not?" - he says
Lots of air eDNA data coming out of the oven (literally, these basicalling GPUs warm up the room a lot 🔥🔥🔥)
Why, you ask?
"Why not?" - he says
Lots of air eDNA data coming out of the oven (literally, these basicalling GPUs warm up the room a lot 🔥🔥🔥)
Today the glove box gave me a glove with no thumb and dared me to do science without opposable thumbs. I rejected the challenge 👍
September 30, 2025 at 3:40 PM
Today the glove box gave me a glove with no thumb and dared me to do science without opposable thumbs. I rejected the challenge 👍
I feel like we tend to complain loudly and often when manuscript peer reviews are bad or unfavorable.
But today I got reviews... and they were reasonable and polite!
Faith slightly restored!!
But today I got reviews... and they were reasonable and polite!
Faith slightly restored!!
September 30, 2025 at 12:38 AM
I feel like we tend to complain loudly and often when manuscript peer reviews are bad or unfavorable.
But today I got reviews... and they were reasonable and polite!
Faith slightly restored!!
But today I got reviews... and they were reasonable and polite!
Faith slightly restored!!
Toxic trait of bioinfo folks:
Everyone insists on building their own pipeline 👨💻
Is it (a) distrust, (b) dreams of citations, (c) tryna prove competency— or all?
Even if it’s a wrapper on a wrapper, god forbid you just use an established one!
I am half guilty as well.
xkcd nailed it long ago.
Everyone insists on building their own pipeline 👨💻
Is it (a) distrust, (b) dreams of citations, (c) tryna prove competency— or all?
Even if it’s a wrapper on a wrapper, god forbid you just use an established one!
I am half guilty as well.
xkcd nailed it long ago.
September 26, 2025 at 1:02 AM
Toxic trait of bioinfo folks:
Everyone insists on building their own pipeline 👨💻
Is it (a) distrust, (b) dreams of citations, (c) tryna prove competency— or all?
Even if it’s a wrapper on a wrapper, god forbid you just use an established one!
I am half guilty as well.
xkcd nailed it long ago.
Everyone insists on building their own pipeline 👨💻
Is it (a) distrust, (b) dreams of citations, (c) tryna prove competency— or all?
Even if it’s a wrapper on a wrapper, god forbid you just use an established one!
I am half guilty as well.
xkcd nailed it long ago.
Why are statistical methods so often explained as if the authors are afraid someone might actually understand what they did?
September 25, 2025 at 4:26 PM
Why are statistical methods so often explained as if the authors are afraid someone might actually understand what they did?