The Genetic Resources Collection is a valuable resource at the Museum of Texas Tech University, providing a method for archiving tissues and their DNA for future research, including molecular genetics, epidemiological, and other relevant studies.

The collection consists of cryogenic samples housed in ultra-cold freezers at -80ºC, tissues preserved with lysis buffer, tissues in ethanol, and extracted DNA. Samples are taken from voucher specimens housed both within the NSRL mammal and bird collections as well as by other museums throughout the world. While the Genetic Resources Collection predominately holds mammal samples, it does contain a small collection of bird, reptile, and amphibian tissues as well.

Since 2002 we have undergone a complete inventory and reorganization of the Genetic Resources Collection. The inventory process was completed in early 2006. At present, approximately half of our collection is barcoded, with a third of the collection arranged in cell boxes. We currently have a preliminary tissue database and are in the process of gathering and updating voucher information for it. At the project’s completion, we hope to have a unified database for searching the NSRL collections online including the samples contained within the GRC. In the coming years we hope to transition our collection into a state of the art liquid nitrogen system to provide the best environment for long-term preservation.

 

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