Improvements to laboratory facilities at Powdermill Nature Reserve

Carnegie Institute, Pittsburgh PA

Investigators

Abstract

Carnegie Institute is awarded a grant to build a modern technical field laboratory to augment the research capacity of Powdermill Nature Reserve, the ecological research field station of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh. At Powdermill, current research programs include such topics as the occurrence of avian influenza in migratory birds, nonlinear boundary effects on decomposition in forensic entomology, regional sampling of water chemistry to assess health and quality, terrestrial toxicology and flow of metals into the ecosystem via pollen and nectar, as well as extensive and diverse programs related to forest succession. Modern ecologists use technical laboratory methods more than they did formerly, and leading field stations must provide support for such procedures. Increasing the capacity of the Powdermill field station will have strongly accelerate research in the diverse programs already executed at Powdermill, and lead to additional programs in the future. These investments will help the facility to provide a leading research platform for the central Appalachians, one of the most diverse temperate ecosystems on Earth. The proposed addition will provide a standard wet laboratory with hood, sinks, centrifuges, heat blocks, refrigeration, freezers (including -80C), balances, electrophoresis gel rigs, and all the ordinary lab ware and starting materials typical of a basic laboratory capable of tissue preservation, DNA extraction, incubation, restriction digests, gel electrophoresis, and other such procedures. Investment into a modern laboratory will contribute to expanded use by visiting researchers and formal college and university classes. In 2012 and 2013, eight federally funded projects were executed in part at Powdermill, including work by four PIs with NSF funding. About 40 researchers and professors use this station, and building a support facility will significantly improve research and teaching capacity in this region and beyond, and have a great multiplier effect in the local community. For more information about the Powdermill Nature Reserve, visit the website at http://www.carnegiemnh.org/powdermill/.