Developing the first field-deployable, non-lethal rapid test for sea turtle hatchling sex ID, enabling scaled monitoring of climate-driven sex ratio skew.
Team & Partners: Dr. Itzel Sifuentes-Romero (Iowa State University) & Dr. David Booth (University of Queensland), Dr. Jeanette Wyneken (Florida Atlantic University), Drs. Lisa Schwanz & Ewa Goldys (University of New South Wales), Dr. Jacob Galan (University of Texas Rio Grande Valley), Taronga Wildlife Conservation Society, NSW TurtleWatch, Loggerhead Marinelife Center
Challenge: Rising beach temperatures are pushing sea turtle hatchling sex ratios dangerously female-skewed, but current sex ID methods require killing hatchlings or invasive surgery, hampering large-scale monitoring.
Approach: Identify sex-specific blood proteins across three species, develop custom antibodies, and translate them into a CRISPR-enhanced lateral-flow rapid antigen test readable from a single drop of blood in minutes in the field.
Anticipated outcomes: A field-ready rapid antigen test prototype for non-lethal hatchling sex ID, applicable across species and deployable by conservation practitioners worldwide without laboratory infrastructure.
