The Pritzker Laboratory - About the Lab

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The Pritzker Laboratory has an Applied Biosystems 377XL Prism DNA sequencer that is used for both DNA sequencing and GeneScan. DNA samples are run out on a 64 lane acrylamide sequencing gel such as the one shown being prepared here.

Computer screen view of unanalyzed DNA sequence data run on Perkin Elmer's ABI PRISM® 377XL DNA Sequencer. The Sequencing Analysis software automatically converts the image data collected by the DNA sequencer into base-called trace peaks (below) that are stored in easy-to-manage sample files for later additional analyses.

Snapshot of a portion of a DNA sequence alignment for a diverse group of species, from the E. coli bacterium to green plants such as maize and liverwort.

Example of a phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships among organisms, which was generated from analyzing DNA sequence data

Introduction

The Field Museum's Pritzker Laboratory is a multi-user core facility dedicated to the genetic analysis and preservation of the world's biodiversity. The lab serves as a research and training facility for the curatorial staff, postdoctoral associates, and undergraduate and graduate students who conduct basic research in molecular evolution and systematics.

The lab was established in 1974, and was one of the first such laboratories in a major natural history museum. In 1989, The Field Museum recognized the significance of new molecular biology techniques and began a program to improve the lab. A lab manager was hired, funds were supplied to develop new techniques and purchase new pieces of equipment, and an endowment fund was established to help provide for maintenance and growth of the lab.

In 1993-1994, Museum scientists obtained external funding from the National Science Foundation for an initial renovation of lab space and the acquisition of new technology (automated DNA sequencing). In 1995, The Field Museum further recognized the importance of molecular biology by hiring six new Assistant Curators and a laboratory research technician and infusing money into the lab for additional equipment. The Pritzker Laboratory has one of the most diverse groups of evolutionary biologists and systematists of any institution in the world. Researchers use the lab to study genetic diversity throughout the tree of life -- including cyanobacteria, fungi, algae, plants, insects and other invertebrates, reptiles and amphibians, mammals, and birds -- and at all taxonomic levels, from relationships among individuals and populations to classes and phyla of organisms. Hand-in-hand with the diversity of studies is the intellectual development of rigorous methods for the analysis of the molecular data gathered.

Support

Generous financial support has been instrumental in enabling the lab to serve as a state-of-the-art research and training facility for curatorial staff, affiliated postdoctoral associates, and graduate and undergraduate students. We gratefully acknowledge The Pritzker Foundation's extraordinary support of the Pritzker Laboratory for Molecular Systematics and Evolution. We also express our appreciation to Misty and Lewis Gruber for establishing an endowment in support of research in the Pritzker Laboratory. A 1993 National Science Foundation Facilities Grant supported renovations to the lab and the acquisition of an ABI automated DNA sequencer.

Lab Management

The lab continues as a non-departmental unit of the Museum's Academic Affairs Division, supervised by a Management Committee consisting of five curators: John Bates (Zoology); Shannon Hackett (Zoology); Thorsten Lumbsch (Botany); Rick Ree (Botany); Jun Wen (Botany); and the lab manager, Kevin Feldheim. All users of the lab are responsible for designing, performing and financing their lab work, but the facility is supported by the Museum for use by curators, staff members, and associated outside collaborators.

Research and Training

Researchers in the lab actively explore all funding opportunities from both the National Science Foundation and other sources. Below is a table summarizing funding for research projects for major and minor users of the lab in early 1998 (Current grant information can be found on the Publications, Grants & Awards pages). All these projects involve gathering large DNA sequence data sets, in terms of numbers of taxa and characters. These projects are groundbreaking in their attempts to elucidate phylogenetic relationships for the particular groups under study and have the potential to yield significant contributions to systematics and biology in general.

Users and Grant Type	Total # Grants	Total Award Amount

Major (active) > $100,000 Major (pending) > $100,000 Major (active) < $100,000 Major (pending) < $100,000 Minor (active) Minor (pending)	9 4 13 1 31 2	$2,311,175 $675,654 $194,355 $73,927 $55,418 $1,200

In 1996 and 1997, more than 40 researchers studied various aspects of evolutionary biology in the lab. These researchers come not only from the Botany, Geology, and Zoology Departments of the Museum, but also from local, regional, national, and international institutions (museums, universities, colleges, and high-schools). The Field Museum has very strong associations with a number of Chicago-area universities. Many Field Museum curators are adjunct at the University of Chicago and the University of Illinois at Chicago and advise graduate students at these institutions. Currently there are eight local graduate students who are housed at the Museum and pursuing their primary research in the Pritzker Lab and in the Museum's collections. Four of these graduate students are from the University of Chicago and four are from the University of Illinois at Chicago. The Field Museum also takes a leading role in hiring and training women. Two of the five curators on the Pritzker Lab Management Committee are women and more than 50% of the trainees in 1996-1997 were women. Twenty-eight trainees from foreign countries have been attracted to our lab (see below).

Geographic Area	# Individuals

Africa: Madagascar, South Africa, Congo (DRC) Asia: Borneo, China, Japan, Indonesia Australia Europe: France, Germany, Netherlands, Poland, Switzerland South and Central America: Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Panama, Peru, Venezuela North America: Canada, Puerto Rico, USA	3 8 2 7 8 36

Long-range Lab Management and Research Goals

Ongoing projects for improvements to the lab include: facilities expansion, acquisition of new techniques (e.g., AFLP and microsatellite analysis), and the development of supercomputing initiatives that will enhance our analytical capabilities and expand research training opportunities. To further emphasize the Museum's role in basic research, the Lab, Academic Affairs, and Exhibits are investigating creation of a new exhibit showcasing molecular evolutionary research done in The Field Museum. Following the successful example of the McDonald's Fossil Preparation Laboratory, this exhibit would be a fully-functional, glass-enclosed molecular lab (including an automated DNA sequencer). Museum visitors would then be able to see us actually doing our science; exhibit materials would talk about what we do and its significance.

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