The Fall 2006 session runs from October 10 through November 29. Interns will be blogging about their experiences and we invite students from around the world to post questions and comments.

Here’s more information about the Zoo InternQuest program.

The Zoo InternQuest program is made possible through the generosity of the McCarthy Family Foundation.

We first visited the Genetics Division. These scientists use the same kind of equipment used by researchers of human genetics such as the PCR process (polymerase chain reaction) to separate DNA. They also work with the Reproductive Physiology Division to be sure which samples to use for artificial insemination. When we reached the Reproductive Physiology lab, we caught up Dr. Barbara Durrant and a college student Research Fellow. We had a look in the microscope at samples of hoofed stock sperm that the researchers were evaluating. A surprising fact is that, if stored properly, a sperm sample can last practically forever. The oldest sample they were working with was kept in the Frozen Zoo since the mid-1980s. Not quite forever yet, but it is older than some of the interns!

The Pathology Division’s Molecular Diagnostics lab is dedicated to finding and preventing disease. One current major disease is one that kills amphibians, the chytrid fungus. Good to know that someone is working to prevent the total loss of amphibians from the planet. This is real and urgent conservation science in action!

The next division was my personal favorite: Applied Animal Ecology. We did not have the opportunity to speak with any of these scientists; however, our ZIQ leader, Maggie Reinbold, gave us some details about the field projects and encouraged us to learn more at the CRES Web site.

The Behavioral Biology Division is dedicated to learning how and why animals do what they do, both in the wild and in captivity. There were a few scientists doing lab work here, but others were also in the field, which in some cases means observing animals at the Wild Animal Park and the Zoo.

I was glad to find out that all of the equipment in the Beckman Center was either donated or purchased through grants, which is possible because the Zoological Society of San Diego, which includes CRES, is a non-profit organization. Some of the machines cost tens of thousands of dollars so it is good to know that major companies are concerned enough about conservation to help CRES save animals by saving them money!

The CRES researchers work with many other people in their fields and sometimes they have guest lecturers visiting. After our tour, we heard about the flora of Hawaii from Ann Sakai of University of California, Irvine. She talked about the different types of plants in Hawaii and why they are becoming extinct. We also learned about the origins of some of these plants and also how they reproduce. It turns out that the Zoological Society has a huge investment in saving endangered birds in Hawaii. Good thing the researchers communicate with each other about conserving endangered species. It takes a lot of people working together to bring about success.

Justin is a Zoo InternQuest intern, winter 2007.

Here’s more information about the Zoo InternQuest program.

Read blogs from CRES researchers.
Read blogs about the Hawaii Endangered Bird Conservation Program.

The Zoo InternQuest program is made possible through the generosity of the McCarthy Family Foundation.

I was really impressed by the five separate CRES divisions at the Beckman Center, which reflected five distinct but somehow overlapping approaches to conservation research. All five laboratories were large and contained various impressive and useful machines.

The Reproductive Physiology Division studies artificial insemination and storage of reproductive cells (sperm and ova) for many endangered species. They also study contraception, which sounded a bit odd to me. But in reality, one of the major concerns of conservation is allowing the greatest possible genetic variation in an animal population. At times, one distinct gene is dominant and must be controlled. If the carriers of that gene are not able to reproduce, then that trait will not become over-represented in the population. Their understanding of the entire reproductive cycle of a species has led to the birth of three giant pandas at the Zoo and lots of cheetahs at the Wild Animal Park.

The Frozen Zoo, which is the most remarkable feature of the CRES facility, does not have any arctic animals in it! Instead, tissue samples of almost 700 separate species of endangered animals are stored in liquid nitrogen. The temperature of this liquid is -200 degrees Fahrenheit (-640 degrees Celsius), and this allows the tissue, eggs or sperm to last intact for forever, theoretically. Using these stored genetics, scientists can study paternity, detect inbreeding, and even determine the genetic health of a species.

This leads directly to the Genetics Division. Here, they have a sequencer, a very developed and expensive piece of equipment that allows scientists to take one single piece of DNA and make an entire sequence in as little time as 24 hours. The Pathology Division’s Molecular Diagnostics lab is where they research viruses, diseases, and other afflictions that trouble endangered species.

A revolutionary idea at CRES that the ZIQ interns really appreciate is that there is an entire laboratory set aside for students, so that students can experience scientific research in a way that is both realistic and enjoyable. This will surely inspire the next generation to become involved in biology, allowing the pursuits of CRES to continue on into the future.

Beyond the impressive things we saw inside the Beckman Center, the building itself is worth learning about. It was built to be a green building and its energy conservation and recycling program is a reflection of the dedication of CRES to conservation in lots of ways. Overall, I learned A LOT about the scientific process, and I see how important it is to have all five aspects of conservation that CRES focuses on -Reproduction, Behavior, Genetics, Ecology, Pathology - in order to really make an impact.

Megan is a Zoo InternQuest intern, Fall 2006.

Here’s more information about the Zoo InternQuest program.

Read blogs from CRES researchers.
Read blogs about the Girls In Science program.

The Zoo InternQuest program is made possible through the generosity of the McCarthy Family Foundation.