Advanced Primate Laboratory Methods

3 units

This course provides students with firsthand experience in conducting laboratory work in primatology. This includes laboratory safety, preparing samples, running assays, and analyzing results. Students will learn best practices and the process of validating techniques. In addition to hands-on lab work, students will read peer-reviewed publications that present data generated from the types of techniques we will cover in class. Background reading on of all the methods used and learning about the field techniques used to collect the samples will also be required. Students in this course are expected to have sufficient prior experience in a laboratory setting and to already understand the basics of lab work, such as proper pipetting techniques and laboratory safety practices. With these basic skills already obtained, students will be able to focus on more interesting topics, such as hormonal, microbial, and genetic analysis of samples from wild primates. Students will need to make time to conduct laboratory work outside of class time. Each student will coordinate these times with the instructor.