About Wilderlab
Wilderlab is an environmental DNA lab that helps people all over the world discover what lives in or near their rivers, lakes, wetlands and coastlines, all from a simple water sample.
We work with researchers, government agencies, conservation groups, industry and communities across New Zealand, Australia and the USA.
Our story
Wilderlab started with a simple idea;
eDNA sampling should be easy enough for anyone to do, anywhere.
Our founder, Dr Shaun Wilkinson, spent his Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship using eDNA to survey coral reefs in Timor-Leste. When he returned home to Wellington, he found there was no easily accessible eDNA testing service in New Zealand. So in 2019, he started one, developing the first sampling kit concepts in his garage.
The name Wilderlab comes from that early goal: compact, easy-to-use kits that fit in a backpack and can be taken into the wilderness, without bulky equipment or specialist training.
Our journey
2016
Shaun is awarded a Rutherford Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship from Royal Society Te Apārangi to carry out eDNA surveys of coral reefs in Timor-Leste.
2019
Wilderlab is founded in Wellington, with a mission to make eDNA testing accessible to everyone.
2022
Wilderlab begins providing TICI (Taxon-Independent Community Index) scores in June. Every New Zealand river sample analysed with our comprehensive freshwater assay panel now receives a TICI score, giving clients a clear way to gauge and track the ecological health of their waterways over time. The same year, Wilderlab is named Supreme Award winner at the New Zealand Biosecurity Awards.
Working closely with the ESR, Wilderlab contributed to New Zealand's COVID-19 wastewater surveillance programme, developing sensitive methods for detecting and distinguishing viral variants. In August 2022, it reported processing wastewater extracts from 20 sentinel sites every week.
2023
Wilderlab establishes a collaboration with eDNA Frontiers, associated with Curtin University's internationally recognised TrEnD laboratory in Western Australia. The partnership combines complementary sampling, analysis and reporting expertise to extend the range of biodiversity monitoring solutions available to customers.
Wilderlab extends the comprehensive freshwater panel of 4 assays to 13 assays, in an evolution of the company’s world-leading metabarcoding capability.
2024
Our eDNA metabarcoding workflow achieves ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation in December. To our knowledge, it is the world's only ISO 17025 accredited metabarcoding workflow.
2025
Wilderlab is selected to process eDNA samples for the second phase of UNESCO's eDNA Expeditions programme, supported by the Minderoo Foundation. The programme targets 25 marine sites worldwide and more than 3,000 samples.
Wilderlab Australia is established, bringing our services closer to Australian clients.
2026
Wilderlab USA is established, expanding our support for researchers and organisations across North America.
2026 Wilderlab e-DNA scholarship recipient Mollie Rickwood presents at AMSA in Canberra. Mollie’s PhD project is focused on understanding the contribution of mesophotic sponges to the diets of New Zealand’s coastal fish. Read the case study
Sponsorships
We are strong supporters of the communities in which we work. Our sponsorships seek to focus attention and activity in the fields of environmental sciences, sustainability, conservation education and scientific research.
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Led by UNESCO’s Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) through its Ocean Biodiversity Information System (OBIS), supported by the Minderoo Foundation and in collaboration with Wilderlab, eDNA Expeditions 2026–2028 is a three-year initiative using eDNA to monitor and protect marine biodiversity at 25 sites worldwide.
Every three months, local teams collect seawater samples using a simple, scientifically robust method that detects traces of marine life, from microbes to large marine animals. The results are shared with participating sites through interactive dashboards and visualisation tools.
Combining local priorities with global collaboration, the project helps communities detect invasive species, track ecosystem changes and make informed conservation decisions.
All biodiversity data is openly shared through OBIS, contributing to a growing global understanding of ocean life and supporting marine conservation worldwide.
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Wai Tuwhera o te Taiao – Open Waters Aotearoa is a long running programme operated by New Zealand’s Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) that connects people and nature. It enables citizen’s to understand and protect your local waterways by testing the environmental DNA. Wilderlab has contributed to this community outreach for more than six years.
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Alumnus Dr Shaun Wilkinson is the founder and CEO of Wilderlab, Aotearoa New Zealand’s leading environmental DNA (eDNA) testing laboratory. The company has generously donated valuable water sampling kits and DNA sequencing analysis to a student researcher at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington.
The purpose of the scholarship is to support a postgraduate student (Masters or PhD) with their associated eDNA costs in the pursuit of their research related to ecology, conservation, biodiversity or restoration ecology.
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Wilderlab sponsors sampling kits annually to this organisation in support of their community science work.
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Valerie Taylor is a renowned diver, photographer, and trailblazing conservationist, dedicated to protecting and inspiring support for marine life. Wilderlab contributes to these annual prizes established to honour her achievements and to inspire wonder and positive action for the ocean.
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Wilderlab is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor of the 2026 Global eDNA Meeting taking place in Seattle, Washington this year. Hosted in partnership by University of Washington’s eDNA Collaborative and the Marine Technoloy Society (MTS) eDNA Committee, the conference will bring together eDNA scientists and practitioners from across sectors and borders to connect, collaborate, and advance the field