# CityUHK team invents novel eDNA membrane to advance understanding of inshore fish diversity

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/cityuhk-team-invents-novel-edna-membrane-to-advance-understanding-of-inshore-fish-diversity
- Published: 2026-09-14T14:11:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

HONG KONG, Sept. 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Monitoring marine life helps scientists
track ecosystem health, improve conservation, and manage fisheries. A promising 
approach is environmental DNA (eDNA), which refers to trace genetic material naturally
released into the water by organisms, such as skin cells, mucus and excreta. By 
analysing eDNA in water samples, scientists can determine which species are present
in a given body of water without the need to physically capture or observe the organisms.
This method is of great significance for monitoring marine ecosystems and conserving
biodiversity. In practical applications, however, DNA concentrations in seawater
are extremely low, making it difficult for traditional membranes to capture it effectively.

 [⌊A research team led by Professor Leung (right) and Professor Zeng has successfully developed a novel membrane that significantly improves the efficiency of collecting and detecting marine organisms’ eDNA.⌉](https://mmx.prnasia.com/media/MS1987207/image.jpg?id=OA2945364&p=medium600)

A research team led by Professor Leung (right) and Professor Zeng has successfully
developed a novel membrane that significantly improves the efficiency of collecting
and detecting marine organisms’ eDNA.

A research team from City University of Hong Kong (CityUHK), in collaboration with
researchers from several other universities, has successfully developed a novel 
functionalised membrane that significantly improves the efficiency of collecting
and detecting marine organisms’ eDNA, providing a more sensitive and reliable technical
tool for monitoring marine biodiversity.

The CityUHK team was led by **Professor Kenneth Leung Mei-yee**, Vice-President (
Research) and Director of the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Health(
SKLMEH); and **Professor Zeng Zhiyuan** from the Department of Materials Science
and Engineering and the SKLMEH. The study, titled "[A tailored MoS_(2) membrane with strong DNA-binding capability enhances aquatic biota detection through environmental DNA metabarcoding](https://academic.oup.com/nsr/article/13/6/nwag055/8444594)",
was published in the leading international journal _National Science Review_.

The research team coated the surface of a common membrane with an ultra-thin layer
of 2D material molybdenum disulphide (MoS₂), enabling the membrane to capture DNA
in water more effectively. Experimental results show that this novel membrane significantly
improves the detection sensitivity of fish eDNA in both laboratory and field tests.

In controlled experiments, the researchers successfully used the membrane to accurately
identify a variety of tropical coral reef fish, including _Acanthurus dussumieri_,_
Chrysiptera cyanea_, _Dascyllus trimaculatus_, _Microcanthus strigatus_, and_ Paracanthurus
hepatus_.

For field testing, the research team conducted on-site sampling tests at the Hoi
Ha Wan Marine Park. The results showed that the new filter membrane could detect
a greater number of fish species, including anchovies, flathead gray mullet and 
carangid fish, without affecting the overall assessment of the fish community, demonstrating
its potential for applications in practical marine monitoring.

"The membrane is simple to prepare and cost-effective, and can be directly integrated
into existing water sampling filtration processes. It is expected to find future
applications in marine conservation, ecological surveys and long-term environmental
monitoring, and is particularly suitable for use in marine areas rich in biological
resources but difficult to survey," noted Professor Leung.

He added that the Ministry of Ecology and Environment is currently promoting the
use of eDNA technology in biodiversity surveys, and that the research team’s innovative
technology will support and drive the development of this technology.

The corresponding authors of this study include Professor Leung; Professor Zeng;**
Professor Huang Bolong** from the Department of Chemistry at CityUHK; and **Professor
Qiu Jianwen** from the Department of Biology at Hong Kong Baptist University. The
findings demonstrate the interdisciplinary integration of advanced materials science
and environmental ecology research, creating new avenues for more precise and sensitive
marine biological monitoring technologies.

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