Protocols

DNA extraction from hair samples followed by microsatellite genotyping to determine parentage relationships and construct molecular pedigrees for quantitative genetic analysis.

Progesterone concentrations measured using radioimmunoassay with tritiated progesterone, ether extraction, and antibody binding assay. Standard curves and duplicate samples used for quantification.

Fecal sample collection and zinc sulfate flotation protocol for detecting intestinal parasites including Ascaris, Eimeria, and Entamoeba in marmot feces.

Standard enzyme electrophoresis technique used to determine genotypes at the 6PGD-2 locus for parentage assignment. Distinguishes between homozygous medium (MM) and homozygous slow (SS) allelic varian...

Cytotype inference using twelve multinational microsatellites with 97% correct classification for cytotype. Individual plants defined as diploid or triploid based on maximum number of alleles observed...

DNA extraction, tagmentation-based library preparation, and Illumina sequencing to generate whole-genome sequence data from butterfly specimens. Modified DNeasy protocol followed by Tn5 tagmentation a...

Blood slide preparation and microscopic examination for haemosporidian parasite identification using Wright-Giemsa staining and compound microscopy with voucher image verification.

Standard gravimetric determination of soil moisture content using oven-drying method at 100°C for 24 hours with 2mm sieving to remove rocks and organic debris.

Standardized protocol for determining dry mass of plant tissues through controlled oven drying at 60°C for 48 hours followed by precision weighing to calculate dry matter content and mass ratios.

Laboratory protocol for preparing yeast-inoculated synthetic nectar with species-specific concentrations and incubation conditions. Synthetic nectar designed to match natural nectar composition.

Standard protocol for isolating apatite grains from crushed rock samples using density and magnetic separation techniques followed by hand picking under microscope.

Standardized method using funnel, filter paper and drainage to measure maximum water holding capacity of soil samples. Involves saturating soil, draining for set time, then oven-drying to calculate wa...

Standard protocol for preserving unidentifiable specimens in ethanol, followed by pinning and taxonomic identification in laboratory conditions.

Laboratory feeding trials exposing individual bumblebee workers to alkaloid-enriched sucrose solutions followed by behavioral activity scoring to assess direct consumptive effects of nectar alkaloids.

Wild-caught flies are used to establish laboratory breeding lines maintained under standardized conditions. Lines are kept in multiple vials with controlled temperature, lighting, and nutrition to pre...

A standardized protocol for preparing plant leaves through chemical clearing and measuring vein density using microscopy and stochastic line-intersection analysis. Leaves are dried, cleared with sodiu...

Pressing and identification of plant voucher specimens using standard botanical keys and herbarium references.

RNA extraction from blood samples, library preparation, and high-throughput sequencing on Illumina platforms followed by read mapping and differential gene expression analysis using mixed models.

Illumina GAIIx RNA sequencing of larval samples from different plant treatments followed by differential expression analysis to identify genes responsive to plant chemical defenses.

Standardized biochemical assays for quantifying protein, lipid, and carbohydrate content in pollen samples. Uses Bradford assay for proteins and sulfo-phospho-vanillin and anthrone-sulfuric acid assay...

Measurement of six different soil extracellular enzyme activities using microplate spectrophotometry to understand microbial activity and nutrient cycling processes in response to plant removal treatm...

PCR amplification of Acidobacteria 16S rRNA genes from soil DNA followed by cloning into vectors and Sanger sequencing to characterize bacterial community composition and phylogenetic diversity.

Standard protocol to isolate, culture, and identify bacteria using genomic DNA extraction, 16S rRNA gene sequencing, and NCBI database comparison.

454 GS FLX Titanium sequencing of normalized cDNA libraries to generate reference transcriptome assembly for gene discovery and annotation.

Specialized sample sectioning and epoxy stabilization under anoxic conditions to preserve redox-sensitive microsites for X-ray analysis.

Laboratory protocol for sorting aquatic samples and identifying invertebrate specimens using microscopy and taxonomic keys.

Protocol for isolating and maintaining pure bacterial cultures from plant leaf surfaces through surface sterilization, plating on selective media, and cryopreservation in glycerol stocks.

Surface sterilization of plant leaves followed by tissue plating on selective media to isolate bacterial endophytes and assess their growth characteristics and pathogenicity.

Dissection of bumble bees followed by microscopic examination of gut and fat body tissues for protozoan parasites using Giemsa staining. Quantifies pathogen intensity by counting cells in standardized...

Standard protocol for obtaining laboratory-reared larvae from field-collected adult female butterflies through controlled oviposition and larval rearing to desired developmental stage.

Phoretic mites were removed from beetle hosts using focused carbon dioxide gas delivered through a pipette tip, which temporarily incapacitated both mites and beetles for counting and size classificat...

Yeast isolates were cultured on chloramphenicol-supplemented YM agar and identified through PCR amplification and sequencing of the D1/D2 domains of the large subunit nuclear ribosomal RNA gene using ...

Histochemical staining using DAB for hydrogen peroxide and NBT for superoxide detection in plant tissues following herbivore attack. Reveals spatial patterns of oxidative stress responses around feedi...

Chemical clearing of Drosophila male genitalia using NaOH treatment, followed by microscopic imaging and principal component analysis of genital shape variation.

Chemical breakdown of fossil-bearing sedimentary matrix using heated dimethyl sulfoxide to extract microvertebrate fossils for taxonomic identification.

Laboratory testing of mammalian sera for woodchuck hepatitis virus antigens, antibodies, and viral DNA polymerase activity using established protocols.

Separation of plant root systems from soil and rocks using high-pressure washing, followed by careful removal of inter-specific root networks and dead tissue.

Chemical treatment of leaf samples with iodine-potassium iodide solution to enhance X-ray absorption contrast for improved visualization of venation networks. Leaves are incubated in contrast solution...

Controlled laboratory rearing of lycaenid larvae to assess developmental performance parameters including mass gain, prepupal duration, and survival under different ant attendance treatments.

A whole-mount immunostaining protocol optimized for visualizing FOXO and mTOR protein localization in butterfly fat body tissue using species-specific antibodies. The protocol involves tissue fixation...

Development of microsatellite primers through genomic library construction, enrichment, cloning, sequencing, and primer design for population genetic studies.

Mosquitoes paralyzed with triethylamine and identified morphologically under dissection microscope, with subset preserved at -80°C for molecular analysis including West Nile Virus RNA detection.

Extraction of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons from burnt plant material using reflux with organic solvents followed by filtration. Two solvent systems tested: toluene/methanol and cyclohexane/acetone...

Method using abutting primers designed from contigs to amplify and recover complete circular viral genomes, followed by cloning and Sanger sequencing for verification.

Field and laboratory identification of damage-causing agents through morphological observation, specimen collection, and microscopic examination of fungal structures and insect damage patterns.

Collection and sorting of unknown plant specimens into morphologically distinct groups (morphospecies), followed by taxonomic identification to family level where possible.

Extraction of high molecular weight nuclear DNA from etiolated plant seedlings with minimal organellar contamination. Uses nuclei isolation followed by DNA purification for downstream genome sequencin...

Laboratory assay testing pollen viability under different water exposure treatments using germination medium and microscopic analysis.

Fixed flowers were processed through staining and clearing to visualize and count pollen tubes that had grown down the style to assess fertilization success. This involved fixation in ethanol:acetic a...

Extraction of total genomic DNA from individual caddisfly larvae using Qiagen DNeasy Blood and Tissue kit with automated QiaCube processing after manual tissue homogenization.