How do scientists do genetic research?
Genetic research begins with the collection of a DNA sample. All of an animal’s body cells contain exactly the same DNA. Therefore, the sample can come from many types of tissue, including blood, muscle, or hair. In the case of wild snow leopards, collecting the DNA sample can be the trickiest step, because the cats are so elusive. Researchers must devise clever ways to collect DNA from snow leopards without ever seeing or touching the cats directly. They may place “hair snares” made of wire along a snow leopard trail, or a piece of rough carpet on a rock that snow leopards mark by cheek-rubbing, to grab a few hairs as cats rub up against it. They are also investigating whether they can extract usable DNA from snow leopard feces, which are very easy to collect. Once they have a tissue sample in hand, scientists take it to a laboratory where the DNA is extracted and analyzed.
