Zoo InternQuest is a career exploration program for high school students. For more information see the Zoo InternQuest Journals. For more photos see the Zoo InternQuest Photo Journal.

Sifting through rhinoceros poo (yes, this is the technical term) wasn’t exactly what I had in mind when I heard we were scheduled to meet with Corinne Pisacane and Becky Sproul, two research laboratory technicians in the Behavioral Biology Division at CRES. Ms. Pisacane and Ms. Sproul excitedly explained to us the process necessary to prepare samples containing secreted hormones through realistic demonstrations. That’s right! We prepared hormone samples from northern white rhinoceros poo in the Endocrinology Sample Preparation Room. Feces of endangered animals, like the northern white rhino, come to the lab wet. After freeze-drying the samples in a lyophilizer, the samples contain only vegetative matter and dry feces. To get rid of the vegetative matter in the rhinoceros poo, we placed a strainer over a funnel, grinding the sample until all that was left in the funnel was the feces. We then carefully measured a very small portion of the sample into glass test tubes.

Carefully processed samples, like the rhinoceroses feces, are then further prepared. Vortexing and adding reactive chemicals to them are only a few of the steps required to obtain results. Research technicians like Ms. Pisacane and Ms. Sproul critically analyze the results through the use of computers, where they translate the data into graphs. At a minimum, this complicated process of acquiring hormone data takes two full days.

The Endocrinology Lab at the CRES facility is primarily enlisted to establish the time period when an animal can successfully conceive. Technicians analyze the progesterone levels of potentially pregnant and currently pregnant females to assess their condition.

Majoring in biology seems to be the way to become a research technician at CRES. Ms. Sproul and Ms. Pisacane had two very different paths for their education, but both enjoy applying to their lab work the skills they gained studying in various fields of biology, from marine biology to microbiology.

-Melissa, Animal Careers Team

Endocrinologists Uncover the Secret Story in Animal Hormones

Producing baby animals in captivity is harder than it may seem. And being an endocrinology technician can sometimes feel pretty far removed from saving species. Healthy baby animals are the product of their efforts, but after spending an afternoon in this lab, I think the many steps it takes to get there aren’t always that fun. In order to use hormones to detect potential problems or to diagnose pregnancy, you often have to obtain usable samples of urine, feces, and saliva.

Although you may not be able to directly save a species being an endocrinology technician, you are able to determine whether or not females are pregnant. It’s not as easy as training a panda to urinate on a pregnancy test stick! The creative solutions that the Endocrinology Lab has come up with eventually affect the rise and fall of the population of a species! Females that are already pregnant don’t want to be around males, and knowing about her state can help keepers know if the potentially dangerous male should be separated from a female. On the other hand, when testing for hormones that indicate ovulation, animal care people can put a receptive female with a willing male.

Using endocrinology, the growth and health of animals can be monitored, enabling veterinarians to treat ailments before they may get worse. As in human health, endocrinology in animals can give clues into the state of the animal’s well-being. And in the case of endangered animals, by diagnosing and treating one endangered rhino, they also impact generations to come, by keeping that animal in the gene pool and through the development of early detection and novel treatment that can be used to help other animals in the future.

-Marika, Conservation Team

Posted in Uncategorized | Link to this post

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Scroll to the end to leave a comment. Pinging is not allowed.