CSBR: Living Stocks - A Genetic Stock Center for Peromyscus

University Of South Carolina At Columbia, Columbia SC

Investigators

Abstract

Rodents in the genus Peromyscus have become ideal models for studying the genetic and other factors responsible for reproductive isolation and speciation, as well as those factors enabling adaptive responses by organisms to changing environmental conditions, including parasites and to other species. An award is made to the Peromyscus Genetic Stock Center to provide a reliable source of live Peromyscus animals (of seven species) and related materials to the national scientific and educational communities. The Stock Center also functions as a clearing house for information regarding this group of animals by sponsoring an internet database, maintaining a reference collection of journal reprints, and hosting a Peromyscus discussion blog. These resources are widely used in the U.S. and elsewhere including numerous NSF-Bio supported researchers. To date the Stock Center has supplied about 27,000 animals, providing the basis for about 300 research articles spanning most areas of biology. Recently, the Stock Center has contributed to numerous high impact discoveries that were featured in the popular media. The Center also supports onsite research by visiting scientists, hosting many such visitors each year. A substantial number of graduate and undergraduate students conduct their research within the Center, producing several Honors Theses and Ph.D. dissertations. Additional outreach involves providing animals to zoos and participation of the Center's staff in K-12 educational programs. More information on the Stock Center and its programs may be obtained at: http://stkctr.biol.sc.edu.