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Husker researchers Scott Gardner and Gábor Racz were featured in a July 31 Smithsonian Magazine article on efforts by parasitologists to inspire more students to enter the field.

Gardner, who has served as curator of Nebraska’s Harold W. Manter Laboratory of Parasitology for three decades, and Racz, the lab’s collections manager, oversee about 170,000 cataloged vials, microscope slides and jars of specimens. A single vial can hold thousands of creatures, bringing the true collection closer to 17 million. The Manter Laboratory — part of the University of Nebraska State Museum — maintains the world’s largest university collection of parasites, which doubles in size every decade.

With warming temperatures and deforestation threatening biodiversity worldwide, as many as a third of parasites may be endangered, the article stated. Simultaneously, the number of parasitologists has dropped significantly as older scientists have retired or died, while few new researchers have taken their place.

“I started off in this [field] pretty young and I got to know all these people, and they’re all expiring,” Gardner said. “It’s so sad. But what can you do, right?”

Gardner, Racz and colleagues are trying to encourage the next generation by sneaking parasites into their college biology curriculums, handing out parasite stuffed animals to children at museum events and running the world’s first-ever parasite conservation program for a tiny tick. Gardner also said professors often recruit future parasitologists by pulling aside their top students to suggest that they join their labs.

A 2020 paper estimated that, at current rates, cataloging every species of helminth — just one type of parasite — would take 745 years.

“Gábor and I are trying to do the best we can, but there’s no way to actually do it,” said Gardner, who estimates that the work of maintaining the ever-growing Manter collection would be best suited to 10 people. “The task is daunting, and time is short.”

Learn more about the Manter Laboratory.

Nebraska Headliners highlights Husker faculty and staff featured in major news outlets. If you see a possible Nebraska Headliner, submit the story or URL via email to nebraskatoday@unl.edu.

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