Given the sensitivity of many molecular methods to variation
in specimen preparation and that specimens
may undergo different field and curatorial preparations prior to being
accessioned into museum collections, are there any efforts to
standardize such protocols and/or add such documentation to specimen
annotations? I think this can be pertinent and helpful.
Just as an example, I have stable isotopes and microbial work in mind,
where specimen handling, preparation, and storage can impact data
quality and validity.
Best,
Elaine
Anh-Thu Elaine Vo
Good thinking! Elaine
ReplyDeleteI don't know the answer either, but it reminded me some of my immune tests and stress hormone studies in eastern bluebirds. The elements are all sensitive to the environmental condition and the handling procedure. I think DNA/RNA materials are relatively straight forward in term of preservation method.
It reminded me a bird collection trip to Texas few years ago. In order to get the most tissues on time (RNA for gene expression ) from a harvest birds. We have to layout 8-9 pre-labled tubes before we sacrifice the bird. Without mist-net, it is almost impossible to collect the right tissues on time.