Great Crested Newt eDNA
SureScreen Scientifics is a leading GCN eDNA provider, and we have achieved 100% over the last four years (2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021) in Natural England’s proficiency testing.
SureScreen Scientifics is a leading GCN eDNA provider, and we have achieved 100% over the last four years (2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021) in Natural England’s proficiency testing.
The great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) is an ecologically important species, protected under legislation within the UK. eDNA-based surveys of great crested newts are nationally recognised as an approved methodology for ecological impact assessments for the planning and development sector. SureScreen Scientifics is a leading GCN eDNA provider, and we have achieved 100% over the last four years (2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021) in Natural England’s proficiency testing.
This species is a vital indicator of healthy ecosystems and plays a crucial role in maintaining biodiversity. As great crested newts are a legally protected species, conservation efforts are essential to protect them as they face threats from habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.
Testing for great crested newts is essential before any construction or development project can take place. If a survey shows detection of this species, then it is important for the developers to modify their plans to avoid harming their habitat.
We are proud to say that we have scored 100% in the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 proficiency test, meaning that all of our GCN eDNA Kits and analysis can be quality assured.
We provide our sample kits separately to the cost of analysis. Each kit includes everything required to collect a successful pond water sample. Order today with free next working day delivery (for orders placed before 1pm)
Our analytical process is very sensitive, robust, and requires careful handling in a controlled laboratory environment. We offer four tiers of turnaround times, all tiers require the purchase of a kit and exclude VAT.
£125 +vat per analysis
£175 +vat per analysis
£225 +vat per analysis
£375 +vat per analysis
There is no need to pre-book your analysis with SureScreen Scientifics, simply send your samples to us and we will email you to let you know when we have received them. The cost of analysis is invoiced to your account (for existing customers) and the results are made available when ready. New customers will need to pay for their analysis upfront before results are sent (for first order only).
For an extra £30 +vat per species, you can add the detection of smooth newt or common frog from the same kit to your analysis. Just write in the notes of the sample collection form and we will analyse for both species.
*Subject to availability. Your sample(s) must be received at our lab by 10am to guarantee your results same day. If your samples are received after this time then your results may be reported the next working day.
Have any out of date GCN eDNA Kits lying around? don’t throw them away – you can upgrade them by purchasing our GCN eDNA Refill Kit.
Each year we see around 20% of purchased kits go to waste – i.e. surplus to requirement and not returned to our lab for analysis. We wanted to do something about this so we have created the GCN eDNA Refill Kit which allows you to replace the preservative solution in your expired kits with fresh in-date preservative-filled tubes, meaning that instead of buying a whole new kit, you will only purchase the expirable components which you require.
We believe that this will save 100’s of kgs of waste a year, and that you can finally make use of the gloves, ladle, bag, box and pipette from previously out of date kits. The refill kits can be used to refresh any old unused SureScreen Scientifics kits that are up to 5 years old.
Results for great crested newt eDNA surveys are only accepted by Natural England if the samples were collected between April 15th and June 30th, however, we can analyse samples taken all year round for other applications.
Similar to GCN, adults emerge from hibernation on land from late February, returning to freshwater to breed. By October, most smooth newts will be back on land and preparing to hibernate.
Commonly observed in pond habitats between February and October.
We suggest using a local courier service such as DPD Local who will collect from you directly and deliver to us next working day. All you need to do is make sure your samples are packaged ready for collection. You will simply need to enter the approximate weight of the parcel (GCN kit is 0.5kg) and the collection address.
Important: Please do not arrange collections on a Friday as your samples won’t reach us until Monday meaning they will be stored in unknown conditions over the weekend so it is best to keep collections to Mon-Thurs for optimal sample quality.
Please send to:
SureScreen Scientifics Ltd, Morley Retreat, Church Lane, Morley, Derbyshire, DE7 6DE.
We also accept hand-delivered kits between 08.00 and 16.00 Monday to Friday, and by appointment 24/7.
There is no need to pre-book your analysis with SureScreen Scientifics, simply send your samples to us and we will email you to let you know when we have received them.
We have found over the years that on average 80% of kits come back to us. Kits don’t come back to us for several reasons such as ponds being dried up. However, if this happens to you, then it will have only cost you the price of the kit at £25.00 plus VAT and the analysis is not charged.
Each GCN eDNA Kit is priced at £25.00 +vat.
Each GCN eDNA Refill Kit is priced at £15.00 +vat.
Free delivery. If ordered before 1pm, kits will arrive the following working day.
Once you have purchased your kit(s) and collected your samples you can send them back to the lab for analysis which is available at three different turnaround times:
*Subject to availability
Your sample(s) must be received at our lab by 10am to guarantee your results same day. If your samples are received after this time then your results may be reported the next working day.
We will send through the results as soon as they become available. Unlike other laboratories, there is no need to pre-book analysis slots ahead of time. Simply send the kits back whenever you’re ready and we will guarantee to complete the analysis by requested turnaround deadline.
The cost of analysis is invoiced to your account once complete. Note: for the first order on new customer accounts, analysis is required to be paid upfront.
Natural England has defined the GCN eDNA sample collection period to coincide with great crested newt breeding and will accept results from samples collected between the 15th April to 30th June. Samples may be taken outside of this time, provided GCN activity is noted in the area. Dates outside of this can sometimes be accepted on a case by case basis with prior Natural England approval.
One kit is required for one pond up to approximately 1 hectare (2.5 acres). For ponds larger than this it is recommended to collect one kit per hectare. Generally, the most accepted way of collecting samples for a large pond of say 4 acres, is that two kits be used, one to collect 20 sub-samples around one half of the pond and the other kit to collect 20 sub-samples around the other half of the pond. These kits are analysed separately (and therefore charged as two kits and two analyses) as to not dilute the sample and give best chance to detect GCN DNA.
Samples should be collected following the technical advice note WC1067 as approved by Natural England. We provide a replicated version of this protocol in each sampling kit, with all of the details required to collect a viable sample. It is important to avoid collecting sediment, plant matter and algae when sampling, as these can interfere with the analysis. Inhibitors may be more concentrated within the sediment, leading to inaccurate results.
Our kits are designed to last for three months from manufacture if kept in ambient or chilled conditions. Therefore, our kits are guaranteed to last the duration of the season. After sampling, kits can be kept for up to 4 weeks in the refrigerator or 2 weeks at ambient conditions. For best results, please try to sample and send back samples as soon as possible.
Yes, we are unable to begin processing a sample without a purchase order (or reference) provided on the sample collection form. This means that there might be a delay to sample processing.
SureScreen participates in the proficiency testing and have done since it started in 2017 and were actively involved in setting the scheme up. Our results will be accepted by Natural England this season. We’re proud to say that we scored 100% in the last four years of proficiency testing (2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021).
We recommend using a local courier service such as DPD Local who will collect from you directly and deliver to us next working day. All you need to do is make sure your samples are packaged ready for collection. You will simply need to enter the approximate weight of the parcel (GCN kit is 0.5 kg / Filter kit is 0.3kg) and the collection address. Booking online is quick and easy – just CLICK HERE to book your collection.
Important: Please do not arrange collections on a Friday as your samples won’t reach us until Monday meaning they will be stored in unknown conditions over the weekend so it is best to keep collections to Mon-Thurs for optimal sample quality.
Please send to:
SureScreen Scientifics Ltd, Morley Retreat, Church Lane, Morley, Derbyshire, DE7 6DE.
We also accept hand-delivered kits between 08.00 and 16.00 Monday to Friday, and by appointment 24/7.
There is no need to pre-book your analysis with SureScreen Scientifics, simply send your samples to us and we will email you to let you know when we have received them.
Kit components can be disposed of or recycled according to your locally available recycling facilities. Sample preservative solution can be disposed of by pouring down the sink with copious amounts of water. If you would prefer, you can return kit components, including gloves, to us for recycling.
Once your results are available they will be sent to the email address provided on the sample collection form before the deadline. If you have not received your results before this date, make sure that you check your spam or junk email folder.
A positive result is indicative of GCN presence at the time of sampling or within the previous 3-4 weeks (GCN eDNA degrades to below detectable levels between 7-21 days). A negative result suggests that there are no great crested newts within the sample area. Inconclusive results are rare, however, indicates that although GCN DNA has not been detected there may be some underlying degradation or inhibition which could be affecting the interpretation of results. This could be due to sediment, algae or plant matter within the sample, or an unusually high concentration of inhibitory molecules within the pond water. For inconclusive results, it is recommended that analysis is repeated with a fresh sample from the site in question.
We are unable to analyse kits manufactured by other eDNA service providers as we would not be able to detect their DNA spike to check for degradation.
We have been continuously working to reduce the environmental impact of eDNA testing, ensuring that our laboratory is more environmentally friendly by switching to more sustainable suppliers, reducing over 300kg of single-use plastics and utilising recyclable and re-usable consumables wherever possible.
There are hundreds more species we can detect. Get in contact to see if the assay for your target species has already been developed, and if it has we’ll be able to detect it for you.
Note: For non routine targets we may need to buy the primers specifically for you, this may take a few days and may incur the cost price of the primers depending on the number of analyses required.
