Every moment of every day, living organisms are constantly shedding their DNA into the air around them.

By using new technology to capture, filter and analyse these fragments, researchers hope to find out more about the UK’s wildlife.

Much of the world’s biodiversity is hidden from us – but what if we could find it at the touch of a button?

Though it may sound far-fetched, a new project might be able to do just that. Researchers from the Natural History Museum and the Earlham Institute have developed pioneering technology that can suck in and identify environmental DNA (eDNA) floating in the air.

Following initial tests, the team are now ready to try out their system on a larger scale. The devices will be set up in eight sites across Norfolk covering a range of habitats to see what species they can find.