Search

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Hero image
Division of Mammals

Genetic Loans

The National Museum holds a wealth of genetic resources collected specifically for analysis. These have been variously preserved in ethanol, buffers, or frozen whole. Regardless of past preservation, all tissues are now stored in liquid nitrogen dewers in a centralized tissue storage facility. These tissues have been collected for the purposes of being subsampled and consumed at the discretion of the Division of Mammals.

Loans are made only to institutions and in care of a permanent staff member who assumes full responsibility for the use (including adhering to benefit sharing agreements and MOUs), storage, and if applicable, the timely return of unused material.　Loan requests from students must be co-signed by their major professor or other professional staff member, who thereby assumes full responsibility for the loan.

Please review details of our Tissue and Destructive Sampling Policy before submitting your request form.

To request frozen tissues, please check our online database for available tissues and submit a completed Tissue Request Form via email to mammalloans@si.edu.

If you are having trouble downloading the Tissue Request Form using the Google Chrome web browser, try using an alternate web browser, such as Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

Requests for destructive sampling of specimens or use of tissues will be evaluated and approved based on the following criteria:

  • Scientific value the project
  • Feasibility of the project
  • Qualifications of the investigator(s)
  • Evidence of sufficient lab facilities and resources
  • Appropriateness of requested specimens for the study
  • Approval of original collector (if needed)
  • Amount of tissue or sampling needed
  • Reasons why samples could not be obtained from the field or other institutions which may have superior holdings
  • Requests will be reviewed by divisional staff, who have final discretion for approval or denial of all or part of a request.

Tissue and destructive sampling transfers are made under the following conditions:

  • Samples will be used only for the purposes stated in the description of research. Samples may not be used for any research or purpose other than that stated in the original approved document without written permission from the Division of Mammals.
  • No part or by-product may be loaned or given to another researcher or institution without written permission.
  • Any portion of the sample that remains, or byproducts thereof, will be returned to the Division of Mammals after the analysis is complete. If no sample remains, a written statement to that fact will be sent to the Division.
  • No commercial use of the sample will be made without prior approval. That includes license, or patent based on samples or byproducts, or any information derived from them without written approval from the Division.
  • Copies of all publications resulting from the use of our samples will be sent to the Division. Publications that result from tissues obtained from the Division of Mammals must acknowledge the Division and incorporate any other acknowledgment required by the collector (this usually includes acknowledging the grants etc. that made the acquisition of the sample possible).
  • Sequences obtained from Divisional tissue samples should be deposited in GenBank or other public genetic database after the research has been published.
  • Other stipulations may be made by the Division of Mammals dependent on the specifics of the loan request.
  • Loans will be closed upon return of unused portions or by submitting a short letter as to the disposition of the sample if none is returned, and upon receipt of copies of any resulting publications.
  • Loans of tissue samples will be made for one year unless an extension is requested and granted.

All borrowers must agree to abide by this loan policy.　

Loans will be closed upon return of unused tissue samples or DNA products, by submitting a short letter as to the disposition of the sample if none is returned, and upon receipt of copies of any resulting publications.