Biosecurity and the ecologies of conservation. An anthropology of collecting practices among virus hunters and birdwatchers

Abstract

This article describes prevention and preparedness as different techniques to conserve the past in order to anticipate the future. It relates the emergence of virology and ornithology to the places where samples are accumulated and classified. It then traces the role of anthropology in museums where cultural artifacts are conserved, to reflect on the possible interactions between microbiologists, birdwatchers and anthropologists in the field. It also asks questions about the position of China as a lack or an empty space in the global collections of museums.