Museum Techniques in the 21st Century

Welcome to the 5th edition of an intensive course on innovative uses of museum’s resources for vertebrate’s research. By the end of this course students will have an updated overview of the potential of museum collections for biodiversity research. The host instructors, from CIBIO-InBIO and the Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) and foreign instructors from Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates (CUMV), will share their knowledge and experience on preparing, curating, and using museum specimens. This will be complemented by online lectures of several invited researchers. In addition, students will practice how to prepare bird and mammal specimens and how tissues can be obtained and preserved for a variety of uses.

More specifically we aim to:

1) present an updated overview on the value of museums and the use of collections and specimens in the 21st century, using new technologies and analytical methods, following the principle of the "extended specimen”. These include, among others:

2) practice the ways that ‘voucher specimens’ and tissues of vertebrates can be prepared, to ensure that quality data is available for generations to come.

| 09.00-10.15 

beyond the specimen - present the "extend specimen" concept, and the potentially limitless use of biological collections
whole specimen - discuss state-of-the-art ‘whole specimen’ techniques including CT scanning, 3D modelling and printing

| 10.30-12.45
invited lectures

| 14.15-17.30
Current methods for preparing specimens
Practical session - preparing voucher specimens (birds)

| 09.00-10.15
genetics - consider how museum specimens provide genetic and genomic resources and how to retrieve genomic data from historical specimens

| 10.30-12.45
invited lectures

| 14.15-17.30
practical session - preparing voucher specimens (mammals)
practical session - retrieving genetic material from museum specimens

| 09.00-10.15
other molecular - present other non-genetic molecular methods, such as stable isotopes, toxicology, and quantification of coloration

| 10.30-12.45
invited lectures

| 14.15-17.30
practical session - preparing voucher specimens (Birds / Mammals)
practical session - retrieving coloration data and prepare 3D models

| 09.00-10.15
data - understand the potential of the spatial and temporal data, available in global repositories, such as GBIF

| 10.30 - 12.45
invited lectures

| 14.15-17.30
Visit to MHNUP collections - types of specimens and storage in a scientific collection
practical session - data preparation for publishing in GBIF

| 09.00-10.15
Visit to Professional taxidermist office - preparation of specimens for exhibition

| 10.30-12.45
practical session - preparing voucher specimens (Birds / Mammals)

| 14.15-17.30
practical session - preparing voucher specimens (Birds / Mammals)
Invited Seminar & Concluding remarks

Ricardo Jorge Lopes, CIBIO-InBIO & MHNC-UP (Portugal)

Paulo Célio Alves, University of Porto & CIBIO-InBIO (Portugal)

Mary Margaret Ferraro, Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates (CUMV)

Rita Rocha, CIBIO-InBIO & MHNC-UP (Portugal)

Ana Leitão, CIBIO-InBIO

Diana Lobo, CIBIO-InBIO

The course will be open to a maximum number of 15 participants.

Priority will be given to:

1) 1st year and other PhD students attending the BIODIV Doctoral Program;

2) PhD students attending other courses;

3) Other post-graduate students;

4) Researchers.

 

Registration Deadline: Sunday, July 02, 2023

All applicants will be notified about whether they are accepted until June 07, 2023

95€ (students) | 200€ (other participants). CIBIO-InBIO members will have an additional discount of 20%

Participation is free of charge for MBGE, BIODIV Students & CIBIO's TwinLabs 

Registration fees do not include accommodation or meals
Please check the rules that apply to all BIODIV students