Biodiversity
Brain
Genetics
Marine BiOLogy
MicrobiOLogy
PaleontOLogy
ZoOLogy
AnthropOLogy
ArchaeOLogy
Astronomy
Climate Change
Earth
Physics
Water
the DNA sequencer
the electron microscope
the CD player
Correct!
While scientific tools are certainly important, Rob believes that the lab atmosphere should be enjoyable. He is constantly asking his students, "Are you having fun?"
Date of Birth: May 4, 1954
Hometown: Springfield, IL
Position: molecular biologist at the American Museum of Natural History
Education: B.A., University of Chicago; Ph.D., Washington University
Position: molecular biologist at the American Museum of Natural History
Known for: using genetics to help endangered species
What is Rob's favorite tool in his genetics lab?
Rob studies the DNA from fish eggs (also known as caviar) because the DNA:
is worth millions of dollars
tastes really good sprinkled over ice cream
can tell us if the eggs were from an endangered fish
Correct!
Eating fish eggs may sound yucky, but some people love them. Rob can take the DNA from fish eggs and see what kind of fish the eggs came from. Recently he found some illegal caviar—it came from an endangered species of fish!
Rob DeSalle wrote a book about how to bring back extinct dinosaurs using samples of ancient DNA.
Fact
OR
Fiction
?
Fiction
Rob's book explains how DNA breaks down over time. Extinct dinosaurs lived long ago, so any dinosaur DNA we might find would probably be incomplete.
“
Studying biology is like traveling back in time. I can use genetics to figure out the kinds of creatures that lived thousands of years ago.
„
Rob DeSalle