DNA testing to 'reveal' if Loch Ness monster exists

The legend of the Loch Ness monster has baffled scientists for centuries – but now a group of experts hope modern technology will uncover what really lives in the Scottish lake.

Professor Neil Gemmell, a scientist from New Zealand, will lead the team using DNA sampling techniques to discover if 'Nessie' exists.

Genetic code will be extracted from the lake’s water, collected over a two-week period, to determine the creatures that make the lake their home.

• Does Professor Neil Gemmell think they will find the Loch Ness monster?

The legend of the Loch Ness monster is embedded in Scottish folklore, with the earliest sighting of a “water beast” reported by an Irish monk in 565AD.

It is said to have a long neck, with humps that protrude from the water – and more than 1,000 people claim to have spotted it.

However, many believe the “monster” could be a large fish like a catfish or sturgeon.

While Gemmell is not convinced the Loch Ness monster exists, he hopes it could still throw up some interesting surprises.

“I don’t believe in the idea of a monster,” he said. “But I’m open to the idea that there are things yet to be discovered and not fully understood.

“Maybe there’s a biological explanation for some of the stories.”

DNA can be captured in the lake through tiny fragments left behind by creatures as they swim through the waters – from skin and scales, for example.

After the team’s trip next month, the samples will be sent to labs in New Zealand, Australia, Denmark and France to be analysed against a genetic database.

“There’s absolutely no doubt that we will find new stuff and that's very exciting” said Gemmell.

“While the prospect of looking for evidence of the Loch Ness monster is the hook to this project, there is an extraordinary amount of new knowledge that we will gain from the work about organisms that inhabit Loch Ness – the UK’s largest freshwater body.”