Natural Science Research Laboratory

 

The Natural Science Research Laboratory (NSRL) is a division of the Museum of Texas Tech University committed to the mission of building and preserving a library of our planet's natural heritage for education and research purposes. The NSRL has been recognized as a leader in the development and use of innovative methodologies for biological collections care and data management.

News

November 2021  The NSRL recently loaned a selection of taxidermy specimens to the Department of Natural Resources Management, TTU College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources (CASNR), for display at CASNR's 94th Annual Pig Roast.  During the Pig Roast, CASNR honors individuals and competitive teams for their achievements over the past year, scholarship recipients, and outstanding leaders in the fields of agriculture and natural resources.  The event also provides an opportunity to thank the individuals and companies who have assisted CASNR through scholarship donations and program support.  This year, NSRL specimens were displayed in front of the venue stage and were a big hit with the attendees (more than 700 faculty, staff, students, alumni, and family members).  The theme for the stage display was native flora and fauna of playa wetlands on the Texas Southern High Plains, and the specimens provided by the NSRL included numerous wading birds, shorebirds, waterfowl, a bobcat, a turtle, and a curved-bill thrasher.  Outreach opportunities such as this celebration, which utilize the NSRL collections for engagement purposes, heighten public awareness and appreciation for the NSRL's mission of natural history research and education. Congratulations to Dr. Blake Grisham and colleagues for a successful event! 

October 2021  In the spirit of Halloween, Texas Tech Today featured a story about the "Terrors and Treasures" housed in the NSRL, including a spooky but fun video featuring the NSRL's collections.  The story focuses on the value of the NSRL for solving human health mysteries, understanding biodiversity changes over time, and more.

June 2021  The Journal of Mammalogy has recognized the recent paper by Soniat et al as its "Editor's Choice" selection in the most recent issue of the journal. The Editor's Choice article highlights the NSRL's research and the importance of natural history collections, especially genetic collections such as the Robert J. Baker Genetic Resources Collection.  The article also cites manuscripts by Bradley et al. 2020 and Phillips et al. 2019, which further signifies the NSRL as a leader in this field.  Taylor Soniat was a Master's student of Dr. Bradley.

May 2021  The NSRL's Genetic Resources Collection was featured in a recent article in The Academic Times, DNA galleries curated in liquid nitrogen preserve biological data for decades.

September 2020 Revised "Guidelines and Procedures for Authors of Occasional Papers and Special Publications" are now available.  All submitting authors should refer to these guidelines when preparing manuscripts for these series.

June 2020 Texas Tech Today article, Researchers Say Genetics May Determine Wound Infection and Healing, focuses on cutting edge research by a team that includes the NSRL's Curator of Genetic Resources Caleb Phillips and his doctoral student Craig Tipton. The PLOS Pathogens publication that resulted from this research can be found here.

March 2020  The TTU Department of Arts and Sciences is currently featuring an article  about Dr. Robert Bradley's former students who now work for the CDC, and the value of their training and experiences at the NSRL in preparing them for their careers. Within that article are links to additional stories on the Marburg virus, rabies, and the value of research abroad.