universities, labs, and museums go missing quite frequently. This doesn't necessarily indicate 'evil intent' on anyone's part. The difficulty rests more on the fact that students graduate, and professors and lab workers--just like most people--move to other jobs from time to time. Sample submissions eventually get consigned to the warehouse, and because cataloging isn't always done with the greatest of care, things get misplaced among the thousands of other boxes of 'stuff'.
My advice? First, NEVER submit your entire sample if you can possibly avoid it, even if it means withholding a toe, finger, or other bones; second, get a RECEIPT for what you DO submit; third, stay in CLOSE TOUCH--at least every couple of days--with the person you give your sample to, so you'll know when it's going to be passed along to the next person, and be certain to get names and phone numbers EVERY TIME the material is passed along.
Your material may still end up lost, but you will still have some of it in your possession.
Posted on Jan 5, 2002, 8:04 PM from IP address 63.224.201.141