Open-source tracking of Cryptosporidium spread in Tierra del Fuego, a seemingly pristine region affected by beaver invasion

My thesis project focuses on monitoring water- and fecal-borne parasites, such as Cryptosporidium, using a low-cost and open-source detection platform in field settings. This platform combines an isothermal DNA amplification assay (QUASR-LAMP) for field screening of beaver rectal-fecal and water samples, and an open-source 3D printed microscope (high-resolution OpenFlexure) for morphological characterization. We aim to determine whether this parasite abundance increases in the presence of an invasive North American beaver in the watercourses of the Tierra del Fuego Archipelago. This species is the most emblematic invasive mammal in the region, affecting highly vulnerable ecosystems, especially in sub-Antarctic native forests.