Take it to the Milk Bank: Smithsonian National Zoo Tour

Join us for a behind-the-scenes tour of the National Zoo in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, August 30. We’ll start with a lecture by Mike Maslanka, who oversees the zoo’s “milk bank,” the biggest frozen repository of exotic milks in the United States. Its 15,000 samples from 185 species (including gorillas, bears, and bats) help scientists study the biochemical signals passed from mothers to their offspring through milk. They also help zookeepers develop better formulas for hand-rearing animals, including a baby hippo recently born at the Cincinnati Zoo. Schedule permitting, the lecture will be followed by a talk from zoonotic diseases specialist Suzan Murray and a visit to the zoo’s pathology lab.

When: Wednesday, August 30, 2017, 3 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Where: Smithsonian National Zoo, 3001 Connecticut Ave NW, Washington, DC 20008
Cost: Free
Register: Register here. Space is limited, so hurry!
Questions: Email Catherine Matacic at cmatacic@aaas.org.