City mouse or country mouse? Biologist collects mice from homes to study how they got so good at urban living
The house mice found in attics and cabinets are the same species that are studied in labs, but they arethan laboratory strains. Our project will generate whole genome sequences from many wild mice, and that data can help scientists who study traits and diseases.in the Americas. For that project, I went to many, many farms throughout the eastern United States and became very good at catching mice in barns.
We talked to many Philadelphians who were frustrated with trying to rid their homes of mice. Some had videos of house mice avoiding the traps they had set or stealing the bait and running away. We share this frustration and feel it keenly. In some cases, it took us many days to catch a single mouse in an apartment. We will also look to see whether there are differences in traits. For example, we will measure their skulls and skeletons.