DNA Drive
Discover how simple car rides can lead to important scientific discoveries. The DNA Drive (DNADRV) project seeks to explore the distribution and biodiversity of insects found in Aotearoa New Zealand by swabbing for any DNA traces that remain after insects collide with car number plates. Results from the study could also be used to help scientists study climate change.
University of Auckland geneticists Dr Aimee van der Reis and Dr Richard O’Rorke started the DNA Drive project with the goal of creating a detailed map of insect life in Aotearoa. Environmental DNA (eDNA) monitoring is used in water environments to survey vast stretches of water, but there was nothing similar to monitor the nation’s insect biodiversity. Thinking outside the box, Aimee and Richard came up with the idea of a nationwide citizen science initiative using bug splatters on number plates to unlock clues about insect populations.
DNA Drive
The DNADRV citizen science initiative is run by University of Auckland researchers Dr Richard O’Rorke and Dr Aimee van der Reis.
URL: www.dnadrv.com
Reach: New Zealand
Nature of science focus: Online citizen science (OCS) projects can be used to develop any of the Nature of Science (NoS) substrands. Identify aspects of NoS that your students need to get better at or understand more fully and then frame your unit to be very clear about these things when you do them.
Science capability focus: Gather and interpret data, Engage with science
Science focus: Classification, biodiversity, ecology
Some suggested science concepts:
What are DNA and eDNA?
Importance of insects to ecosystems and food webs.
Biodiversity of insects in Aotearoa.
DNA is required for accurate species identification.
Many concepts could be learned – focusing on a few can often be more powerful. Develop your learning outcomes and success criteria from these concepts as well as the Nature of Science strand and the science capabilities.
Some examples of learning outcomes:
Students can:
gain an understanding of the biodiversity in insect populations in Aotearoa
discover why having baseline data on the national prevalence of the insect population in Aotearoa is important
gain an understanding of the importance of thorough preparation before an experiment to avoid contaminating results
appreciate the value citizen scientists can bring to a national science project.
Fun for the kids, they got to do the whole process and be scientists for the night.
About DNA Drive
To take part in this project, you will need to order or collect a DNADRV eDNA sampling kit. There is a contact form on the website, or you can see if there is a collection hub near you.
Instructions
Once you have the DNADRV eDNA sampling kit, here is what to do.
Preparation before the drive
It is important that your number plate is cleaned before you start driving. While wiping the plate should have cleaned off most of the DNA, the swab provided does not have all the chemicals that will destroy all the DNA. This is because that could damage you, your clothes or your car.
You take a DNA sample before you go for a drive so that DNADRV can see what DNA remains.
DNADRV sampling kit
This shows the DNA sampling kit – all the things required to start collecting data for this citizen science project.
Put on a glove – The glove is to stop you getting soap on your hand and keeps your DNA out of the sample.
First wash – Take the 1st wash cloth out of the tube and give your number plate a quick wipe all over. This is to remove as much biological splatter as you can before your drive.
Second wash – Take the 2nd wash cloth out and do the same as above. Afterwards, discard the glove and two wash cloths.
Put on a new glove – This new clean glove protects the sample from the enzymes that you have on your fingers that break down DNA and it keeps your DNA out of the sample.
Get some baseline DNA before your drive – Take the sachet that contains a swab. Rip this open and swab down your number plate. Wiping the whole plate only takes a couple of seconds. Then put the swab into the white labelled 2 ml tube. This tube contains a liquid that will preserve the DNA and some grit that will help us get DNA out of the swab in the lab.
Take a drive
Ideally for at least 20 minutes but less than 24 hours. Remember to note where you go as you will need to enter that information in the Enter Data page.
Collecting DNA after the drive
Put on a glove – The glove is to stop you getting soap on your hand and keeps your DNA off the car.
See any insects? – Knock any insects that you see stuck on the number plate into the yellow pottle. DNADRV has insect experts that can visually identify what they are. It also makes it more likely that the team will discover the faint traces of other insects that have hit your number plate and bounced off (a whole insect tends to dominate the whole sample).
Final swab – Take the sachet that contains a swab. Rip this open and swab down your number plate. Then put the swab into the yellow labelled 2 ml tube. This tube contains DNA preservative and some grit that will help us get nucleic acids out of the swab later.
Preparation cleaning
In 2024, the DNADRV team collaborated with the Auckland Vintage and Veteran Car Club. Nineteen car number plates were cleaned and swabbed before a rally around South Auckland. After the cars returned a couple of hours later, the plates were swabbed again. The most abundant insects found were fungus gnats, striped dung flies and codling moths.
Handing the samples back to the scientists
Ideally, get your kits back as soon as you can. They have a long shelf life if stored at room temperature and out of direct sunlight. Go to the Contact section on the website for up-to-date information on the locations of the latest drop-off hubs such as local libraries and the postal address if you wish to courier the results back to the University of Auckland.
Once the researchers have the kits back, they will analyse the results. They liken their work to being a little bit like forensics.
“We use the trace DNA that the insects leave behind once they have collided with the number plate. We then use certain markers in DNA to identify the species.”
Project benefits
The DNA Drive project provides several benefits.
Exploring insect changes
Explore the impact of climate change, invasive species and pollinator decline on insect populations in Aotearoa. The collecting of real data can be used to tackle the ‘insect Armageddon’ debate (is there a dramatic, rapid and widespread decline in global insect populations?) and to discover if insect life cycles are becoming out of sync with food sources.
Spotting ecological threats
Focuses on issues like the invasive common wasp (Vespula vulgaris) and whether its DNA is linked to areas with fewer other insects.
A common wasp
Insects have paired antennae so they can smell in stereo. They can detect the smallest of concentrations of scent. Pictured is the common wasp (Vespula vulgaris).
Building a big picture
The DNA Drive project will help create a strong baseline of data for long-term tracking –moving beyond just guesses or ‘feelings’. All datasets have an element of variability. It is important to gain a good baseline dataset so that any variability that is of concern can be identified. The video What does our data show? is about freshwater data gathering, but it covers some important pedagogical considerations regarding data collection.
Connecting with nature
Highlights the familiar ‘windscreen effect’ (the belief that, in recent decades, there are significantly fewer insects splattered on car windscreens) and encourages people to notice what is happening in their own environment. For those living in urban areas, this provides an opportunity to engage with nature.
Have your students discuss what they think is the most important benefit and why. Explore how it is important to have accurate scientific data to back up claims of declining species numbers or changes in species behaviour.
Related content
Browse the range of resources we have on biodiversity, classification and ecology.
DNA
Prior to starting this project, check your students’ understanding of DNA with these articles:
Find out how students used DNA barcodes to identify food sources in wētā frass (poo). Schools are using this information to create wētā-friendly habitats!
The Hub’s eDNA collection has background information and activities to help students learn more about DNA collection and processing and how eDNA helps scientists build a better picture of the biodiversity and resilience of an ecosystem.
Activity ideas
Extracting DNA helps students conceptualise DNA by extracting it from tomatoes.
Finding out what’s in our lake using eDNA is an energetic activity that simulates the collection of eDNA to identify some of the organisms living in a lake system (aka a container of water on the field).
DNA detective is a good introduction to DNA and the information that careful collection of environmental DNA can give us. Students are stepped through learning about how trace DNA is left throughout our environments and how this DNA is collected and sent for analysis.
Insects
Find out more about insects with these key articles:
Discover more of our resources on insects in this handy curation. We have resources on spiders, wētā, bees, butterflies, moths and many more. There are articles, activities, interactives, videos and more.
Alternatively, you could explore the range of content under our Invertebrates topic.
Citizen science projects
Participate in the New Zealand Mosquito Census and help scientists at Te Papa learn more about the various mosquitoes in Aotearoa.
Global Earth Challenge is an international citizen science project that has a section on monitoring insect population changes.
Here are some planning tips for when you intend to use a citizen science project with your students. See these helpful webinars: Getting started with citizen science and Online citizen science.
Activity ideas
Find out what insects are in your local environment with these activities:
Useful links
Follow #DNADRV on Facebook and Instagram for the latest news.
On the news section of the DNADRV website, there are updates on the latest sampling, project news and stories on how schools are using this project.
These news stories tell you more about the projects and include interviews with lead researchers Dr Richard O’Rorke and Dr Aimee van der Reis.
Turning squashed bugs into climate change data – University of Auckland media release
DNADRV (DNA DRIVE) and Bugs – listen on YouTube to DNADRV researcher on the OI podcast
DNADRV – Insect biodiversity on cars – (Breakfast TV) YouTube
DNA Drive uses number plates to measure biodiversity – RNZ First Up
How your dirty license plate could help climate science – RNZ Nights
DNADRV Project: Collecting bug splatters for science – New Zealand Association of Science Educators. This shows how one teacher used the kit in their classroom.
Visit Dr O’Rorke’s website to find out more about his work.
See our We love bugs! Pinterest boards for links to more resources and community activities.
The Entomological Society of New Zealand was formed to provide a common meeting ground for everyone interested in entomology in New Zealand. It aims to stimulate interest, encourage amateurs and promote the profession of entomology. It runs the annual Bug of the Year contest.
