A new skin test for animals could one day help wildlife managers control the spread of unwanted, invasive species like the Burmese Python.
The test — developed by a Colorado chemist — was highlighted at the American Chemical Society’s national meeting being held in Denver.
An estimated 12,000 scientists and others are expected to attend the meeting, which runs through Thursday.
The group is the world’s largest scientific society, with more than 163,000 members.
“This meeting is like the World Series of science,” said organization spokesman Michael Woods.
Randal Stahl, a chemist with the National Wildlife Research Center in Fort Collins, developed the skin test, which can determine the age of wild animals while they are still alive.
Knowing the ages among members of an animal population can help determine “if the population will continue to grow or go into decline,” Stahl said.
That will make it easier to manage invasive species like the python, which competes with native alligators for food in the Florida Everglades.
“We are in the midst of population explosions of some animals that have negative impacts on people, property and other animals,” Stahl said.
“The new skin test will help us tell how many animals in a wild population are of breeding age,” Stahl said.
The information could help wildlife-management programs created to cope with the invasive species. Some of these programs, for instance, seek to maintain healthy numbers of breeding pairs.
On the agenda are presentations that range from the potential for panda poop to break down plant material in wood chips, grass and crop waste so it can be used for biofuels, to new tests for legally-sold, and dangerous, designer drugs like “bath salts” that mimic the effects of cocaine, Ecstasy and marijuana.
Some of the research presented is theoretical, said Woods. But much of it connects with the lives of ordinary people.
Consider research that discovered the mouth-watering aroma of cocoa powder, the key ingredient in chocolate, actually comes from substances that by themselves can smell like raw beef fat, cooked cabbage, human sweat and other less savory odors.
That research by Peter Schieberle, a professor at the Institute for Food Chemistry at the Technical University of Munich, Germany, could one day lead to designer chocolates, Woods said.
Sihe Zhang, 26, who is studying for a doctorate in chemical engineering at Auburn University, said she picked up new knowledge at the meeting about electronic equipment that will help her separate and quantify components for her research in fuel and energy.
“You get a really broad view of all aspects of chemistry. That really helps me,” Zhang said of the meeting.
Tom McGhee: 303-954-1671 or tmcghee@denverpost.com
