Tongass Genomics

Muddy microbiology. Going (deep and dark) places. is one of the possible outcomes.

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

After nearly 2 years of mysterious PCR inhibitors and countless alternate extraction methods, we finally have the sequence of this seasonally subaqueous moonmilk our team collected in @the_tongass! #fieldwork #caves #tongassNF

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Thinking of our field sites (pictured: Fort Stanton Cave) as we re-sequence, re-analyze, and (finally) write up our results! Photo by Minori Yoshida, Courtesy @BLMNational. #microbiology #fieldwork #caves #cavescience

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

We are so grateful for our dremelfuge engineering team: Brooks Willis, Elliott Donlon and Jake Sanchez.

This team, especially team leader Brooks, dedicated hundreds of hours over six months to make the dremelfuge work safely and reliably.

Thank you Brooks, Elliott, and Jake!

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Sunday fun-day: 5 days out from our 65 day science expedition we have a lot of dirt to remove before we can start the WNS decon process. #caves #cavescience #karst #caving

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Expedition Day 64: Bags packed, samples in the mail, trash at the dump, shelfstable leftovers at the food bank, stove fuel gifted to passersby. Prince of Wales has been kind to us. We are toasting a successful expedition and our amazing team. #caves #cavescience #tongassNF

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Despite a harrowing start, Week 8 got some quality field time in and even managed to fit in some fishing. #karst #cavescience #tongassNF #SEalaska

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From today (Expedition Day 56): A scenic alpine start on Heceta island to what would prove to be a very long day indeed. #caves #cavescience #tongassNF #fieldwork

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 47: A rainbow of moonmilk shades we sampled from caves in the @TongassNF -- thanks @lets_experiment for helping us raise funding for this ongoing research! #cavescience #tongass #geomicrobiology

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 45: Sometimes the boat motor breaks, and it is 10pm, time to row, and also raining. One of many memorable learning experiences with our @NMT_EES undergraduate students, Antonio and Celeste. #cavescience #karst #tongass

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 40: Antonio (an undergraduate student from @NMT_EES) sampling a variant of moonmilk in the @TongassNF. #caves #cavescience #tongass #fieldwork

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 34: Devra (@NCKRI Education Program Manager) and Celeste (NMT UROCK Student) on the hunt for planaria! #tongass #fieldwork #cavescience

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Today: expedition-related errands. We're gathering 2032 batteries and cave gloves (some of ours have holes now). Also stockpiling: sunshine. Tomorrow our undergraduate students from the UROCK program @NMT_EES and @TuftsUniversity arrive with the @NCKRI Education Program Director!

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 9: Most of our sampling sites are cold. Many of our sampling sites are wet. All of our sampling sites fill us with awe, wonder, and reverence. Photo by Felipe Barscevicius. #caves #cavescience #tongass

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 26: When a lot of the caves you want to do science in are wholly or partially filled with water, you do what you can. And, you make jokes over puddles about the water's table being set. Photo by Lulu Russell. #caves #cavescience #tongass

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 26: When you're in Alaska and it's been raining hard for days (and it's still raining) cavesuits are no longer just for caves. #caves #cavescience #wvunderground #landjoff #tongass

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 16: The cave on Heceta Island we might not have found because the point was so far off, except we had good cave-finding instincts. And persistence. Photo by John Dunham. #caves #cavescience

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

From Expedition Day 20: After instructing everyone to avoid stepping in the water, Riley stems over a pool to point out a planarian to Max. #caves #cavescience #conservation #tongass

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Week 3/4 team departed this morning-- despite the neverending sog we got a lot of field time in. Good people and bad weather go together! #caves #cavescience #fieldwork

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

"I have a solid suspicion this may work" -Max

[Tongass Genomics @TongassGenomics]

Expedition Day 28: Max fixing the PCR machine as we drive. #caves #cavescience #fieldwork