Prince William calls eDNA firm 'inspiration'

Samples from all over the world are analysed at the labs in Guildford

A Surrey-based company is in the running to win £1m as a finalist in Prince William's Earthshot Prize.

NatureMetrics, based in a science park in Guildford, has been included in this year's “protect and restore” category.

The company uses environmental DNA technology, which can provide data on thousands of species at once, and analyses samples from all over the world to inform businesses.

The Earthshot winner will be announced in November, with all finalists described by the prince as “true inspirations.”

NatureMetrics CEO Dimple Patel

Founded in 2021, the annual Earthshot Prize aims to find solutions to the problems faced in our environment.

Other categories include Fix our Climate, Revive our Oceans and Clean our Air.

Announcing this year's finalists, Prince William said they were “some of the most exciting, innovative and impactful that we’ve seen”.

NatureMetrics chief executive Dimple Patel told BBC Surrey the company was thrilled to be announced as a finalist.

“It’s just been the most incredible two months,” she said, adding she had learned about making the shortlist in July and was sworn to secrecy.

The company provides "nature intelligence" for businesses

Ms Patel said if they win their category and the £1m prize, “we would be putting it towards running sampling across the globe”.

It would also help the “scale up” their work to determine the health of environments, she said.

“What we really want to do is provide a picture of what is happening globally with biodiversity.

"A really important part of that is saying 'what does good look like?'.

"Having the £1m and putting that towards sampling untouched locations which are hard to reach would give us a benchmark.”

Ms Patel explained how the analysis undertaken by the company is effectively “a stock take to nature".

"We can tell you at a genetic level everything that is present in an environment," she said.

"That’s everything from a blue whale right the way through to different types of soil bacteria.

“It is incredibly accurate so it helps build up this picture of what is actually in a space and what impact it is having through oil, gas, mining on the ground.”

The information can be used to help “halt and reverse devastating nature loss, threatening the survival of millions of species and impacting the lives of billions of people, and a critical element of tackling the wider climate crisis,” according to the company's website.

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