Conservation and Preparation Department

The Conservation and Preparation Department is a professional unit serving the interests of all natural history departments. It provides expert and technical support; receives and isolates incoming material; prepares, documents, conserves and restores museum specimens; and advises on preventive conservation across the Museum.

The Department manages the Tissue Collection for Genetic Analyses, which consists of well-preserved animal tissue samples collected primarily in Croatia from 1997 to the present. Tissues are stored in sterile microtubes at -80°C, in 96% alcohol at -20°C, or in RNAlater solution. DNA samples isolated from these specimens are permanently stored alongside the collection at -80°C.

This unique collection represents a national library of genetic biodiversity, currently safeguarding samples of endangered and endemic fauna species of Croatia. Well-preserved tissue in which hereditary macromolecules are protected from degradation is an exceptionally valuable resource for research in biodiversity, population genetics, and phylogenetics — both today and in the future. Material from the collection is processed in the Museum's DNA laboratory.