COLLECTING AND PROCESSING SAMPLES
EQUIPMENT AND PROTOCOLS
GEN-FISH is large and multi-faceted. As such, consistency among those collecting and processing samples is critical to the efficiency of the project and the long-term reliability of the results. Below are the recommended considerations and protocols to be used by all GEN-FISH participants.
FIELD WORK
LAB WORK
These equipment protocols and checklists should be reviewed before eDNA sampling. A completed sanitization and packing checklist is required for each unit as part of the equipment return process.
Our YouTube channel offers how-to videos for handling and operating eDNA sampling equipment.
There are a number of important considerations for eDNA sample collection for the GEN-FISH “500-waterbody” survey:
To integrate eDNA samples into our broader “500-waterbody” survey, some basic information is required on the samples themselves (who collected them, waterbody name, when collected, GPS location, etc.).
Environmental parameters are also important for interpreting the collected eDNA data. The instructions let you know (through a colour code) which data is “crucial”, “important”, and “nice to have”.
These are instructions for designing OpenArray chips, based on Thermo Fisher protocols and using Primer Express software.
RNAlater has been extensively used to store animal tissues, including brain, heart, kidney, spleen, liver, testis, muscle, fat, lung, and thymus. It penetrates into most biological tissues, and immediately stabilizes RNA (and DNA) in fresh specimens.
The protocols developed by the Docker Lab (University of Manitoba) are excellent standards for extracting eDNA from filters and DNA from tissues.