Short Description
Besides a large laboratory room for all standard procedures around DNA analysis, the Laboratory of Molecular Systematics harbours a clean room, where UV-radiation and a filtered air lock system enable ancient DNA analysis to the highest standard. Furthermore, there is all equipment necessary to carry out DNA analyses, in particular in the frame of research to address questions in evolutionary biology, biological systematics and taxonomy. They comprise DNA sequence analysis, aDNA sequence analyses (from museum samples), microsatellite analysis, DNA barcoding (species identification via DNA sequencing).
Contact Person
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Elisabeth Haring (Abteilungsleiterin)
Research Services
The facilities are available to all departments of the NHM Vienna for scientific and routine investigations, some of which are carried out in cooperation with national and international research partners. Use by external parties (for a fee or in the frame of cooperations) is possible after agreement with the responsible contact person; Scientific cooperation, especially in the context of third-party funded projects possible. Contract work is also accepted by agreement (e.g., species identification via DNA barcoding, genotyping, genetic monitoring).
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
Molecular biological procedures, specifically DNA sequence analyses, include e.g. B. DNA extraction, DNA extraction from samples of museum material (aDNA), polymerase chain reaction (PCR), cloning of PCR products, DNA visualization and measurements as well as data analysis (e.g. DNA sequence analysis, microsatellite analysis, DNA barcoding, eDNA barcoding).
Equipment:
The main laboratory is equipped with 7 thermal cyclers (Eppendorf), 4 centrifuges, various thermo mixers, incubators, refrigerators and freezers, an autoclave, a pipetting robot and a microscope with a camera system and software for documentation. An Agilent 4150 Tape Station, a Qbit 3 fluorometer and a gel documentation system (FAS-Digi Pro) are available for DNA visualization and measurements.
The DNA clean room has a filtered air lock system and UV radiation to enable contamination-free DNA extraction (especially from museum material; "old DNA"; aDNA). The clean room is equipped with a Retsch ball mill, a UV hood, a thermal cycler, thermal mixers, two large centrifuges with cooling system, an incubator, an automated nucleic acid extraction system (Promega Maxwell® RSC), a stereo microscope for tissue removal and a vacuum pump for (e.g., eDNA) extractions from filters.