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DNA and “Life on Ice” | National Geographic


museums are really the archives of

museums are really the archives of scientific knowledge we think that the

scientific knowledge we think that the

scientific knowledge we think that the future of meeting the needs to 21st

future of meeting the needs to 21st

future of meeting the needs to 21st century biology will be about frozen

century biology will be about frozen

century biology will be about frozen tissues life on ice the Smithsonian has

tissues life on ice the Smithsonian has

tissues life on ice the Smithsonian has just built the largest Natural History

just built the largest Natural History

just built the largest Natural History buy repository in the world biologists

buy repository in the world biologists

buy repository in the world biologists are going to be spending a lot of the

are going to be spending a lot of the

are going to be spending a lot of the next few decades sequencing the genomes

next few decades sequencing the genomes

next few decades sequencing the genomes of many kinds of life on Earth we’re in

of many kinds of life on Earth we’re in

of many kinds of life on Earth we’re in the field out at Edgewater Maryland

the field out at Edgewater Maryland

the field out at Edgewater Maryland which is the Smithsonian Environmental

which is the Smithsonian Environmental

which is the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center and we are here to start

Research Center and we are here to start

Research Center and we are here to start working out the methods for how you put

working out the methods for how you put

working out the methods for how you put life on ice you might ask so why do we

life on ice you might ask so why do we

life on ice you might ask so why do we do this well as a scientist the main

do this well as a scientist the main

do this well as a scientist the main reason is that I want to understand the

reason is that I want to understand the

reason is that I want to understand the history and the diversity of life on

history and the diversity of life on

history and the diversity of life on Earth for 300 years we’ve been studying

Earth for 300 years we’ve been studying

Earth for 300 years we’ve been studying the morphology of animals the behavior

the morphology of animals the behavior

the morphology of animals the behavior of animals the ecology of animals what

of animals the ecology of animals what

of animals the ecology of animals what we’ve discovered in the last 20 is that

we’ve discovered in the last 20 is that

we’ve discovered in the last 20 is that all of those things leave signals in

all of those things leave signals in

all of those things leave signals in their genomes so there are a couple of

their genomes so there are a couple of

their genomes so there are a couple of really hard problems if you haven’t be

really hard problems if you haven’t be

really hard problems if you haven’t be able to solve with classical data and we

able to solve with classical data and we

able to solve with classical data and we think that genomic data is is the way to

think that genomic data is is the way to

think that genomic data is is the way to solve all those problems

see and he’s in there ash looks like a

see and he’s in there ash looks like a Luka gay yeah that’s one will be

Luka gay yeah that’s one will be

Luka gay yeah that’s one will be catching spiders live and then plunging

catching spiders live and then plunging

catching spiders live and then plunging them directly into liquid nitrogen which

them directly into liquid nitrogen which

them directly into liquid nitrogen which by the way is a very fast and painless

by the way is a very fast and painless

by the way is a very fast and painless way to go it’s instant toes ready so

way to go it’s instant toes ready so

way to go it’s instant toes ready so this is sacrificing the spiders

this is sacrificing the spiders

this is sacrificing the spiders you hear that why care about spider

you hear that why care about spider

you hear that why care about spider genomes it’s too obvious reasons our

genomes it’s too obvious reasons our

genomes it’s too obvious reasons our silk and poison they have some of the

silk and poison they have some of the

silk and poison they have some of the most elaborate and precise poisons of

most elaborate and precise poisons of

most elaborate and precise poisons of any organism on earth they’re widely

any organism on earth they’re widely

any organism on earth they’re widely used in neurobiology research so that

used in neurobiology research so that

used in neurobiology research so that you can see the mechanism of how the

you can see the mechanism of how the

you can see the mechanism of how the poison affects cells in say in a human

poison affects cells in say in a human

poison affects cells in say in a human body so we think nature is a library of

body so we think nature is a library of

body so we think nature is a library of solutions that are waiting to be

solutions that are waiting to be

solutions that are waiting to be discovered

museums are repositories of all sorts of

museums are repositories of all sorts of information that people have used in the

information that people have used in the

information that people have used in the past and haven’t used yet so we’re

past and haven’t used yet so we’re

past and haven’t used yet so we’re adding to it to a museum collection in a

adding to it to a museum collection in a

adding to it to a museum collection in a different way and has been traditional

different way and has been traditional

different way and has been traditional and basically you know it museums will

and basically you know it museums will

and basically you know it museums will have investments in ethanol

have investments in ethanol

have investments in ethanol they’ll have specimens that are dried

they’ll have specimens that are dried

they’ll have specimens that are dried and pin they’ll have specimens that are

and pin they’ll have specimens that are

and pin they’ll have specimens that are in drawers and they’ll have specimens

in drawers and they’ll have specimens

in drawers and they’ll have specimens that are in the bio repository and

that are in the bio repository and

that are in the bio repository and liquid nitrogen so it to me it seems a

liquid nitrogen so it to me it seems a

liquid nitrogen so it to me it seems a normal thing for a museum to be doing

normal thing for a museum to be doing

normal thing for a museum to be doing which is to be adding to its collection

the liquid nitrogen tanks hold tens of

the liquid nitrogen tanks hold tens of thousands of samples at minus 190 at the

thousands of samples at minus 190 at the

thousands of samples at minus 190 at the moment liquid nitrogen is the gold

moment liquid nitrogen is the gold

moment liquid nitrogen is the gold standard for long term and by long-term

standard for long term and by long-term

standard for long term and by long-term the Smithsonian’s in the forever

the Smithsonian’s in the forever

the Smithsonian’s in the forever business now we’re starting to

business now we’re starting to

business now we’re starting to centralize our frozen tissue collections

centralize our frozen tissue collections

centralize our frozen tissue collections so we’re somewhere between 200,000 and a

so we’re somewhere between 200,000 and a

so we’re somewhere between 200,000 and a half a million samples the reason we do

half a million samples the reason we do

half a million samples the reason we do this is people like to do genomic work

this is people like to do genomic work

this is people like to do genomic work they do file genetics they do toxicology

they do file genetics they do toxicology

they do file genetics they do toxicology work with our samples so researchers

work with our samples so researchers

work with our samples so researchers request samples and we actually go in

request samples and we actually go in

request samples and we actually go in and we pull samples out we cut a small

and we pull samples out we cut a small

and we pull samples out we cut a small piece of it and send them out to the

piece of it and send them out to the

piece of it and send them out to the researchers every time science jumps to

researchers every time science jumps to

researchers every time science jumps to a new phase the museums will follow up

a new phase the museums will follow up

a new phase the museums will follow up this technology of doing genome

this technology of doing genome

this technology of doing genome sequencing is advancing rapidly by

sequencing is advancing rapidly by

sequencing is advancing rapidly by building a library of frozen tissues

building a library of frozen tissues

building a library of frozen tissues where you can do genomics of life on

where you can do genomics of life on

where you can do genomics of life on Earth we’ll be doing what museums is all

Earth we’ll be doing what museums is all

Earth we’ll be doing what museums is all we have always done which is to

we have always done which is to

we have always done which is to concentrate life into a collection that

concentrate life into a collection that

concentrate life into a collection that will support research

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