We are an environmental DNA (eDNA) testing lab based in Wellington, New Zealand.
Our compact and easy-to-use eDNA kits require no specialised training or equipment, and are ideal for a range of applications including biosecurity, conservation, environmental resource management and education. The unique on-site processing and preservation system avoids the need to keep samples cold or transport bulky equipment, and the small, lightweight samples can be sent by standard courier or post to our laboratory in Wellington. A range of highly sensitive DNA tests are available, from targeted single-species detection to multi-species sequencing services.
Multispecies Testing
Our flagship multispecies test is tailored for Aotearoa’s unique fauna and flora. With our comprehensive reference database and purpose-built software we can identify thousands of species of fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, plants, fungi, protists, bacteria, and other organisms. All of this from just a cup or two of water.
Discovery through DNA
The species community detected from multi-species eDNA test of 8 L of water from Matiu Somes Island in Wellington Harbour. Copyright Wilderlab NZ Ltd. We help clients detect the presence of pest fish, plants and mammals, as well as rare and endangered New Zealand endemics.
Sampling kits that anyone can use
Our compact and easy-to-use eDNA sampling kits require no specialised training or equipment, and are ideal for a range of applications including biosecurity, conservation, environmental resource management and education.
Our Team
Shaun Wilkinson, Ph.D.
Founder and Principal Scientist
Shaun grew up in the picturesque Pohangina Valley in rural Manawatu, before moving to Palmerston North and training as a chef. After spending three years as the Head Chef at a busy Palmerston North Bistro, Shaun moved to Wellington taking a role as an account manager in a hospitality supply company. In 2006, Shaun enrolled in a BSc at Victoria University of Wellington, where he went on to first class Honours, a PhD and a Postdoc with Prof. Simon Davy’s Marine Symbiosis and Coral Reef Biology Group.
In 2016 Shaun was awarded a prestigious Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship from the Royal Society of New Zealand, to carry out environmental DNA surveys of the understudied coral reefs of Timor-Leste. During his time in Timor, Shaun authored several scientific papers, developed R software packages and shiny applications, and made several trips to the world-class Trace and Environmental DNA Laboratory in Western Australia.
Shaun founded Wilderlab in early 2019 with the goal of improving ecological monitoring in Aotearoa, and helping Kiwis to connect with their rivers, lakes and oceans through the lens of environmental DNA.
Shaun leads a dynamic team of scientists, developers, and operational staff who are constantly finding ways to improve how we deliver our services and remain at the forefront of eDNA innovation.