Transfer of (part of) bear scat to a Petri dish and then to a storage buffer. Samples are then ready to extract DNA using a pipetting robot.

Some volunteers who participated in last year’s intensive sampling of bear scats are already anxious about our results.

To recap, last year we received about 4500 bear scat samples which take up several freezers here at Department of biology. Each sample was enter into the database and is now being processed in the laboratory. Part of scat is transferred to a special storage buffer and then it’s ready for DNA to be extracted using a pipetting robot.

When we manage to extract DNA from all samples in the laboratory, they will be ready for genotyping. This is a process where we will learn of the identity of individual bear. Once these results are ready, we will start to populate the database and the results will be available to the public. If all goes according to plan, this should happen by the end of this year.

It’s very crowded in our laboratory as of late. Processing of bear scats is in full swing.