International research isn鈥檛 foreign to Dr. Loren Cassin-Sackett.
The at the 欧美三级片 examines genetic material to explore the influence of wildlife diseases on animal evolution and ecology.
As a graduate student, she did fieldwork in Antarctica, Costa Rica and the Galapagos Islands. She also conducted postdoctoral coursework in Germany.
Today, she鈥檚 a research affiliate at the Smithsonian Institution; though based in Washington, D.C., its collections attract scientists from around the globe. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a very international place,鈥 she said.
Cassin-Sackett received yet another stamp on her research passport this spring semester. Her destination: Colombia.
There, as a Fulbright scholar, she鈥檚 collaborating with scientists at the Universidad de Los Andes in Bogot谩 to examine if pathogens, bacteria and microbes found in an animal鈥檚 gut 鈥 in this case, the gut of the capybara, the world鈥檚 largest rodent 鈥 heighten its risk of acquiring infectious diseases.
The study also holds implications for humans, Cassin-Sackett said. 鈥淭he pathogens we are looking for in capybaras are also pathogens that infect humans. In some regions, capybaras can come into close contact with humans.鈥
She continued: 鈥淗umans are at risk of contracting pathogens from animals, particularly rodents and primates because those are our closest evolutionary relatives. Understanding what increases the risk of that pathogen in the capybara can help us understand the risk of it spilling over into humans.鈥
The Fulbright Program was founded in 1946. It is one of the world鈥檚 most prestigious cultural exchange and scholarship programs.
Cassin-Sackett鈥檚 stay in Colombia began in January and concludes in June. She discussed her expectations for her time there before her departure.
Question: What鈥檚 the appeal of Colombia?
Answer: Colombia has the second-highest number of species of any country, which is really astounding. It鈥檚 right next to Brazil, which has the most species. It has this amazing elevation gradient, so you have all kinds of species at low and high elevations. The diversity of habitats there is incredible. That鈥檚 part of why it鈥檚 appealing to me. I鈥檓 a biologist, so what better place to go than one that has tons of biodiversity.
Q: You鈥檝e used genomics 鈥 DNA mapping 鈥 here at UL Lafayette in your research. Universidad de Los Andes is a pioneer in using genomics to understand how pathogens interact with animals, marine mammals, crops and humans. What鈥檚 the benefit of genomic methods to the work you鈥檝e done here and to what you鈥檒l be doing there?
A: Genomic methods enable scientists to sequence huge amounts of DNA, sometimes whole genomes. It鈥檚 a fast and efficient way of getting at a ton of data. Being able to look at more of the genome gives us a more accurate understanding of evolution.
But that鈥檚 only part of it. You can also identify what you are looking at using genomes. One of the things I am going to be doing is looking for pathogens. You often can identify those pathogens better with a DNA sequence than you can with your eyeball. Partly that鈥檚 because they are microscopic, or they have a low prevalence in the animal, so it would take you forever to look through slides under a microscope. So, sequencing is an efficient way to do this.
Q: You鈥檙e going to be looking for microbes found in the capybara鈥檚 gut. How do you get your data?
A: Through poop. It鈥檚 very glamorous.
Q: Why study capybaras?
Scientists are drawn to exceptional species because we can learn a lot from them. Capybaras are unusual; most rodents are small. Capybaras can weigh up to 150 pounds.
Capybaras are also interesting because they鈥檙e very social and form large aggregations which is unusual for a rodent. I study another social rodent, prairie dogs of the American West.
Q: What is the benefit of international collaborations such as those fostered by Fulbright?
A: I was thinking how the scientific enterprise has changed over the last century. It used to be individuals working on their own and coming up with ideas. Now, we have innumerable methods to test hypotheses, and so as a result of these new methods and technologies, science has become incredibly collaborative. These collaborations propel science forward.
It鈥檚 really about perspective. We all have our own way of looking at the world. You get new ideas when you get new perspectives. You learn to think about things in a different way, and I think that鈥檚 where scientific discoveries happen, when you are looking at things from a new perspective you didn鈥檛 have before.