Natural History Collections and Pandemic Preparedness
In this session, Cody Thompson and Kendra Phelps will discuss their article, “Preserve a Voucher Specimen! The Critical Need for Integrating Natural History Collections in Infectious Disease Studies,” published in January 2021. With COVID-19 as an example of the failed merger of host-pathogen research with collections-based biodiversity science, the paper reviews past cases of successful integration of museum collections with emerging infectious disease research (e.g., hantaviruses, yellow fever, parasites). The research concludes with recommendations for how public health agencies and the microbiology community can integrate their research efforts with museums using a One Health framework.
