Lois, 89, and Charlie OâBrien, 83, spent over six decades becoming two of the worldâs preeminent entomologists. The married scientist couple amassed a personal collection of more than 1.25 million meticulously kept insect specimensâincluding their personal favorites: weevils (Charlie) and planthoppers (Lois). Now, theyâre giving it all away, NPR reports .
The OâBriens are donating their vast collection, estimated to be worth $10 million, to Arizona State University (ASU) in hopes that it will foster further research that could have huge scientific value. The treasure trove of creepy-crawly pests doubles ASUâs current collection, called the Frank Hasbrouck Insect Collection, which consists of nearly 1 million specimens.
The OâBriens have also donated $2 million to ASUâthe place where they first metâto endow future professorships with the sole goal of studying and identifying new species.
Charles W. and Lois B. O'Brien Insect Systematics Endowment from ASU Now on Vimeo .
âThe OâBriens have placed great trust in us as a research community,â Nico Franz, the Hasbrouck Collectionâs curator and long-time colleague of Charlie OâBrien, told ASU in a statement . âAnd at the same time, itâs a responsibility for us to make sure this collection has the greatest possible impact in terms of research and mentoring for future generations.â
The donation will likely have the biggest affect on the agriculture industry, specifically on invasive species like Charlieâs weevils. ASU notes there are about 65,000 identified weevil species but that estimates put the total number of species at about 220,000. Different species of weevils devastated U.S. agriculture during the Dust Bowl by burrowing into plant stalks, laying eggs, and leaving the hatched larvae to scarf down the plant parts. They continue to plague farmers all over the world.
But just because the scientists are donating their lifeâs work doesnât mean theyâre getting out of the bug business.
âWe work seven days a week, we used to work 14 but now weâre down to 10 hours a day,â Charlie told The Guardian . âWe love it so much, even if Iâm getting a little old for field work.â
Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations