Ultracold freezers for molecular ecology and evolution

达伦·欧文博士和多尔夫·施吕特博士的研究小组因其研究进化生态学的创新方法而享誉国际。他们的大部分研究涉及分析从野生生物身上收集的基因样本。通过从这些样本中提取和分析DNA，研究人员能够对产生和维持生物多样性的过程了解很多。这项研究的核心是能够将DNA样本储存在极低的温度下，大约-80摄氏度，这可以防止DNA的降解。这两个研究小组目前将样品储存在两个超低温冰箱中，但由于研究项目的数量和范围的快速增长，由于研究生和博士后人数的增加以及国际合作的增加，这些冰箱现在已经满负荷了。这笔赠款将用于购买两台新的超低温冷冻机，使研究能够继续进行。

The research groups of Dr. Darren Irwin and Dr. Dolph Schluter are internationally recognized for their innovative approaches to studying evolutionary ecology. Much of their research involves analysis of genetic samples collected from organisms in the wild. By extracting and analyzing DNA from these samples, researchers are able to learn a great deal about the processes that produce and maintain biodiversity. Central to this research is the ability to store DNA samples at extremely cold temperatures, around -80 degrees centigrade, which prevents degradation of the DNA. The two research groups currently store samples in two ultracold freezers, but these freezers are now filled to capacity due to rapid growth in the number and scope of research projects, due both to increasing numbers of graduate students and postdocs as well as growing international collaborations. The grant would enable the purchase of two new ultracold freezers, enabling the research to continue.