Analytical Labs Based in the Midwest

Often primatologists and primatology students build lab components into broader studies, and finding the right lab with which to collaborate is critical. These labs are maintained by MPIG members and affiliated institutions, and are open for offers of collaborative research. Please contact us if you would like your lab to be added!

Brookfield Zoo Welfare and Reproduction Lab

  • PI Name: Lance Miller
  • Lab Specialty: Animal Welfare and Reproductive Monitoring
  • Location: Chicago Zoological Society – Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL
  • Capabilities: Cortisol, Corticosterone, Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA), Immunoglobulin A (IgA), Aldosterone, Testosterone, Progesterone, Estradiol, Pregnanediol Glucuronide
  • Equipment: Enzyme Immunoassay (EIA), High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC)
  • Fees: Project Dependent, please contact
  • Contact: Lance.Miller@CZS.org

IU Bloomington Hormones and Phytosteroid Lab

  • PI Name: Michael Wasserman
  • Lab Specialty: Hormones and Phytosteroids
  • Location: Indiana University Bloomington – Bloomington, IN
  • Capabilities: hormone immunoassays, transfection assays for hormonal activity (e.g., phytosteroids)
  • Equipment: Major equipment includes two large capacity freezers (cooling to -20°C and -80°C; Thermo Fisher), one biosafety cabinet (Logic + Class 2, Thermo Fisher), water jacketed CO2 incubator (Forma Series 3, Thermo Fisher), two centrifuges (5810R & 5424, Eppendorf), Vacufuge Plus (Eppendorf), Freezone 2.5 freeze dryer (Labconco), SteriElite16 autoclave (Fisher Scientific), BioTek plate washer and reader (ELx405 Select CW & Synergy 2), Wiley Mill (Thomas Scientific), one open air shaker (Innova 2100, Eppendorf), HeiVap Precision rotary evaporator with chiller (Heidolph Instruments), and four sets of Eppendorf manual pipettes (0.5 µL– 1000 µL).
  • Fees: Please contact for details
  • Contact: mdwasser@indiana.edu
  • Website: https://mdwasserman.com/

Northern Illinois University Primate Nutrition Lab

  • PI name: Mitch Irwin
  • Lab specialty: nutritional analysis of primate foods
  • Location: Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL
  • Capabilities: crude protein, available protein, simple sugars, lipid content, fiber (NDF/ADF/lignin), tannins
  • Equipment: Leco nitrogen analyzer, ANKOM fiber analyzer, ANKOM Daisy incubator, ThermoScientific Spectrophotometer
  • Fees: project dependent, please contact
  • Contact: mirwin@niu.edu
  • Website: https://www.niu.edu/anthropology/about/faculty-directory/irwin.shtml

Northwestern University Primate Microbiome Lab

  • PI name: Katherine Amato
  • Lab specialty: microbiome analysis
  • Location: Northwestern University, Chicago, IL
  • Capabilities: 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing, shotgun metagenomics, fecal SCFA concentrations, microbiome bioinformatics
  • Equipment: Illumina MiSeq, NovaSeq (via U of Illinois Chicago sequencing core), high memory computing node, anaerobic chamber
  • Fees: project dependent, please contact
  • Contact: katherine.amato@northwestern.edu