Ancient DNA Laboratory
The UAM Ancient DNA Lab (aDNA Lab) was built and outfitted to facilitate genetic analyses on material that was not specifically collected for this purpose—for example, study skins, skeletons, fluid-preserved specimens, or other sources of degraded DNA such as permafrost-preserved material, feces, feathers, or hair. The aDNA Lab is not intended for research on human DNA and may not be appropriate for that purpose. The lab should be used in situations in which DNA yield or quality is expected to be low and in which the risk of contamination by other sources of tissue or DNA is particularly high. For this reason, it is critical that we keep outside DNA outside and maintain the room’s sterility. This means limiting the lab's use to those projects with a genuine need for it and keeping the number of simultaneous users as low as is reasonable.
Researchers who wish to use the lab MUST be approved and trained before being granted access. Potential users should send a SHORT description of the proposed research project - including why they need the aDNA Lab to accomplish it (rather than a standard molecular biology lab), what funding has been obtained, how often they anticipate being in the lab over the course of the project, and the project's duration - to the Genomic Resources Collection Manager (Mallory Gulbranson). Students must have the approval and support of their supervisors/advisors. Individual users (not PIs or entire labs) will be approved, and only those individuals should enter the lab. Access will be approved only if space and lab resources are available. All decisions regarding access will be made on a case-by-case basis by the Museum's curators, in consultation with the current lab users.
