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
Fate and transport of environmental DNA: mapping the knowns and unknowns
The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in routine biomonitoring is transforming our ability to detect and quantify aquatic species. However, translating these indirect molecular detections into ecologica...
www.researchsquare.com
Wouldn’t it be kind of wild if someone actually pulled everything we know about what happens to eDNA between shedding and detection?
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
We are on!
Air 🌬️
Sea spray 💦
Surface 🌊
3000 m deep ⚓
~1 million DNA molecules/hour
sequenced live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!
Shout out to Aden and Rhonda,l who can extract DNA, PCR, and library prep without getting seasick ⛵️
From sample to data in less than 48 hrs.
#eDNA #nanopore #UW
Air 🌬️
Sea spray 💦
Surface 🌊
3000 m deep ⚓
~1 million DNA molecules/hour
sequenced live in the middle of the Pacific Ocean!
Shout out to Aden and Rhonda,l who can extract DNA, PCR, and library prep without getting seasick ⛵️
From sample to data in less than 48 hrs.
#eDNA #nanopore #UW
January 17, 2026 at 1:57 AM
January 15, 2026 at 7:49 PM
Sunrise CTD cast!! This one went right inside the Toto caldera, which is an underwater volcano 🌋!
We found the volcano did have a plume (meaning it is activelly erupting) - I got to see scientists cheering to a live feed of data when the plume appeared. NASA landing style 🚀👩🚀 #Cruise #Volcano
We found the volcano did have a plume (meaning it is activelly erupting) - I got to see scientists cheering to a live feed of data when the plume appeared. NASA landing style 🚀👩🚀 #Cruise #Volcano
January 13, 2026 at 10:27 PM
We call this trick "we forgot to pack a heatblock and now we have to improvise with a hotplate and sand".
It is walnut shell sand. Smells nice.
It is walnut shell sand. Smells nice.
January 10, 2026 at 3:21 AM
We call this trick "we forgot to pack a heatblock and now we have to improvise with a hotplate and sand".
It is walnut shell sand. Smells nice.
It is walnut shell sand. Smells nice.
Our first #CRESST CTD cast is out!
A CTD is a rosette sampler full of sensors and water bottles. We can monitor sensors live and trigger the closure of each bottle from aboard as it comes back up through the water column (deep to shalow).
We don't have much time, so this cast was only to 200m.
A CTD is a rosette sampler full of sensors and water bottles. We can monitor sensors live and trigger the closure of each bottle from aboard as it comes back up through the water column (deep to shalow).
We don't have much time, so this cast was only to 200m.
January 9, 2026 at 5:44 AM
Our first #CRESST CTD cast is out!
A CTD is a rosette sampler full of sensors and water bottles. We can monitor sensors live and trigger the closure of each bottle from aboard as it comes back up through the water column (deep to shalow).
We don't have much time, so this cast was only to 200m.
A CTD is a rosette sampler full of sensors and water bottles. We can monitor sensors live and trigger the closure of each bottle from aboard as it comes back up through the water column (deep to shalow).
We don't have much time, so this cast was only to 200m.
After a 7 day delay, we are finally on board of the RV Thomas G. Thompson! Getting ready for 14 days of #eDNA data collection and lab work going from #Philippines towards #Guam
It is a data deficient area, so I will also be making the first ever pelagic bird surveys of this region.🐦⬛🐦 #unqualified
It is a data deficient area, so I will also be making the first ever pelagic bird surveys of this region.🐦⬛🐦 #unqualified
January 5, 2026 at 5:14 AM
After a 7 day delay, we are finally on board of the RV Thomas G. Thompson! Getting ready for 14 days of #eDNA data collection and lab work going from #Philippines towards #Guam
It is a data deficient area, so I will also be making the first ever pelagic bird surveys of this region.🐦⬛🐦 #unqualified
It is a data deficient area, so I will also be making the first ever pelagic bird surveys of this region.🐦⬛🐦 #unqualified
January 5, 2026 at 1:40 AM
I was recently humbled by the presence of the type specimen of the first bird ever.
The #Archeopteryx is truly a magical thing.
This object here defines what a bird🐓 is.
The #Archeopteryx is truly a magical thing.
This object here defines what a bird🐓 is.
December 19, 2025 at 8:16 PM
I was recently humbled by the presence of the type specimen of the first bird ever.
The #Archeopteryx is truly a magical thing.
This object here defines what a bird🐓 is.
The #Archeopteryx is truly a magical thing.
This object here defines what a bird🐓 is.
Marion, idk who you are, but you are very funny.
December 19, 2025 at 8:06 PM
Marion, idk who you are, but you are very funny.
We put this out as a preprint so the community can help pressure-test it. If we missed your work, misinterpreted something, or if you have data that alters any conclusion, please tell us. This only gets better with more eyes on it!
#eDNA #Molecularecology #Ecology
#eDNA #Molecularecology #Ecology
Wouldn’t it be kind of wild if someone actually pulled everything we know about what happens to eDNA between shedding and detection?
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Fate and transport of environmental DNA: mapping the knowns and unknowns
The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in routine biomonitoring is transforming our ability to detect and quantify aquatic species. However, translating these indirect molecular detections into ecologica...
www.researchsquare.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:42 PM
We put this out as a preprint so the community can help pressure-test it. If we missed your work, misinterpreted something, or if you have data that alters any conclusion, please tell us. This only gets better with more eyes on it!
#eDNA #Molecularecology #Ecology
#eDNA #Molecularecology #Ecology
Wouldn’t it be kind of wild if someone actually pulled everything we know about what happens to eDNA between shedding and detection?
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Fate and transport of environmental DNA: mapping the knowns and unknowns
The use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in routine biomonitoring is transforming our ability to detect and quantify aquatic species. However, translating these indirect molecular detections into ecologica...
www.researchsquare.com
December 12, 2025 at 4:33 PM
Wouldn’t it be kind of wild if someone actually pulled everything we know about what happens to eDNA between shedding and detection?
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
Decay, transport, microbes, temperature, rivers, oceans, all of it?!
We did that.
📄 Preprint link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-8...
🧬🔍🌊
#eDNA #MolecularEcology
There is a list of modern issues that have to be outlawed/regulated by ALL countries around the world ASAP, but people are too busy discussing non-issues.
This is somewhere at the top of that list.
This is somewhere at the top of that list.
What in the everloving—and I can’t stress this enough—FUCK
December 12, 2025 at 4:25 AM
There is a list of modern issues that have to be outlawed/regulated by ALL countries around the world ASAP, but people are too busy discussing non-issues.
This is somewhere at the top of that list.
This is somewhere at the top of that list.
Packing for the #CRESST research cruise and preparing a manifest was not easy.
The neat part is we will have a full #eDNA workflow going in the ship itself - sampling, extraction, PCR, sequencing, and bioinformatics!
Our hopes are resting on many ways to tie things down 🪢 and seasickness pills!
The neat part is we will have a full #eDNA workflow going in the ship itself - sampling, extraction, PCR, sequencing, and bioinformatics!
Our hopes are resting on many ways to tie things down 🪢 and seasickness pills!
December 11, 2025 at 4:34 AM
Cool study, but the projections are🤪.
-They predict fewer birds than we already have.
-The Bayesian model goes off the rails.
-Including prokaryotes is questionable as "species" hardly applies.
Any species-count model that doesn`t have # of active taxonomists as a factor will be just broken.
-They predict fewer birds than we already have.
-The Bayesian model goes off the rails.
-Including prokaryotes is questionable as "species" hardly applies.
Any species-count model that doesn`t have # of active taxonomists as a factor will be just broken.
Fascinated to learn that we are still discovering new species at the highest rate ever. Mapping Earth's biodiversity is far from over, and while we learn more and more about it, let's protect what we do know as well as we can!
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
The past and future of known biodiversity: Rates, patterns, and projections of new species over time
The number of known species on Earth is increasing rapidly, suggesting unexpectedly large numbers of many groups.
www.science.org
December 8, 2025 at 7:45 PM
Cool study, but the projections are🤪.
-They predict fewer birds than we already have.
-The Bayesian model goes off the rails.
-Including prokaryotes is questionable as "species" hardly applies.
Any species-count model that doesn`t have # of active taxonomists as a factor will be just broken.
-They predict fewer birds than we already have.
-The Bayesian model goes off the rails.
-Including prokaryotes is questionable as "species" hardly applies.
Any species-count model that doesn`t have # of active taxonomists as a factor will be just broken.
Every time I have to write "°C" I just google "degrees celsius" and copy the ° symbol. Same for μ! . Sure, I can insert symbols, but it feels faster! I can`t be the only one, right?
December 3, 2025 at 9:36 PM
Every time I have to write "°C" I just google "degrees celsius" and copy the ° symbol. Same for μ! . Sure, I can insert symbols, but it feels faster! I can`t be the only one, right?
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
-Maned wolf (lobo-guará)
-Banded cotinga (crejoá)
-Dwarf tinamou (carapé)
-Whooping crane
-Orca
Cerrado + Atlantic Forest (where I grew up in the ecotone), plus Texas from my PhD years, and Washington now.
Do google them if you have to :)
-Maned wolf (lobo-guará)
-Banded cotinga (crejoá)
-Dwarf tinamou (carapé)
-Whooping crane
-Orca
Cerrado + Atlantic Forest (where I grew up in the ecotone), plus Texas from my PhD years, and Washington now.
Do google them if you have to :)
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Polar bear
Beluga whale
Moose
Wolf
Lynx
(it was hard to pick 5)
Polar bear
Beluga whale
Moose
Wolf
Lynx
(it was hard to pick 5)
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
Caribou
Ravens
Seals
Kea
Turkeys
November 29, 2025 at 5:26 AM
Introduce yourself with 5 animals you've seen in the wild:
-Maned wolf (lobo-guará)
-Banded cotinga (crejoá)
-Dwarf tinamou (carapé)
-Whooping crane
-Orca
Cerrado + Atlantic Forest (where I grew up in the ecotone), plus Texas from my PhD years, and Washington now.
Do google them if you have to :)
-Maned wolf (lobo-guará)
-Banded cotinga (crejoá)
-Dwarf tinamou (carapé)
-Whooping crane
-Orca
Cerrado + Atlantic Forest (where I grew up in the ecotone), plus Texas from my PhD years, and Washington now.
Do google them if you have to :)
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