In July, when Zoo InternQuest (ZIQ) visited the Beckman Center, which houses CRES, I noticed that a number of things were larger than I expected. When I was involved in the Girls In Science program at the San Diego Zoo, I toured the original CRES facility located on San Diego Zoo grounds. While the research programs were amazingly successful, with the births of various endangered animals over many years, and amazing ground-breaking discoveries made in labs and in the field, the old building was cramped and contained only small laboratories.

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.

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