Friday, August 28, 2015

In the News: Collecting for Disasters

Fig.1. A planned biobank for samples from Ebola patients could bolster African science and aid in global health efforts (Credit: CDC/Cynthia Goldsmith, via PHIL)

How far would you go to collect? When it comes to studying a nuclear disaster, a deadly disease, or even unreachable plants, these scientists come up with clever ways to take samples. Such collections help in global health and environmental efforts that work to protect our world:


  • A biobank for up to 100,000 samples from Ebola patients would be valuable for preparing for the next outbreak. Such a resource would also strengthen self-reliant scientific efforts in Africa: “Proposed Ebola Biobank Would Strengthen African Science,” Nature (10 August 2015) 


  • These plant collectors, both named and unnamed, often risked life and limb to find seeds and contribute to herbaria and food security efforts: “The Perilous Quest For The Perfect Seed,” The Boston Globe (22 August 2015)

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