Ive only collected for museum collections a handful of times. I think collecting into alcohol is standard? with the % depending on how well you want the DNA kept. @waynemaddison.bsky.social, @forthespiders.bsky.social , @bugsorbust.bsky.social will know more. - ThreadSky

spiderdaynightlive.bsky.social • 13 days ago

Ive only collected for museum collections a handful of times. I think collecting into alcohol is standard? with the % depending on how well you want the DNA kept. @waynemaddison.bsky.social, @forthespiders.bsky.social , @bugsorbust.bsky.social will know more.

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bugsorbust.bsky.social•13 days ago

I second Dr. Wayne Maddison! and would add to make sure you have a good glass vial to keep it in. I personally avoid the cork-like rubber tops because they deteriorate more over time and make me nervous my specimen will go flying when I remove it. I use vial lids that just snap in.

derekhennen.bsky.social•13 days ago

Cork/rubber stopper vials are the worst and should be avoided. For my myriapods I always use plastic vials with all rubber o-ring or glass shell vials stoppered with cotton and put in a larger jar, as already mentioned in this thread

derekhennen.bsky.social•13 days ago

Part of the reason for my stoppered vial hatred: https://news.illinois.edu/saving-our-natural-heritage-one-stopper-at-a-time/

kendrickorion.bsky.social•9 days ago

May I ask for the name/SKU of the plastic vials you like? Our lab uses plastic vials, but we have yet to find one that’s reliable; the best we’ve tried so far have a ~10% failure rate after 1 yr

Also, what do you think of glass vials with phenolic polycone screw caps? I’ve heard those are the best!

derekhennen.bsky.social•8 days ago

Hey yes, it's these ones: https://www.sarstedt.com/en/products/laboratory/reagent-centrifuge-tubes/tubes/product/60.542.052/. I haven't had any trouble with them and I like them a lot. They won't sell to private individuals though, which is weird.

Do you have a photo of the screw cap vials?

kendrickorion.bsky.social•8 days ago

Thanks! We just switched to that brand this year, so hopefully we’ll see the same good longevity with them that you do 🤞 We’re using 2mL tubes: https://www.shop.sarstedt.us/shop/laboratory/screw-cap-micro-tubes-and-reaction-tubes/screw-cap-micro-tubes/2681/screw-cap-micro-tube-2-ml

Here’s an example of the glass vials I mentioned (there are many suppliers): https://www.glassvials.net/Clear-Screw-Thread-Glass-Vials--with-Phenolic-Cone-lined-Caps_p_2740.html

derekhennen.bsky.social•8 days ago

I use those in my current job, but I hate how they're thin-necked, it's harder to get specimens out vs straight sided vials. I also like that I don't have to worry about falling and shattering the plastic vials! But the plastic cone at the top works well and stops any evaporation.

kendrickorion.bsky.social•8 days ago

I’ve heard (e.g. on ECN-L) that the polycone vials reliably retain ethanol for decades, but don’t have the experience to know myself! And they’re much easier to use than shell vials—no fussing around with stoppers or submerging the vials in a bigger jar of ethanol.

ceiseman.bsky.social•8 days ago

I get Sarstedt vials (as a private individual) from https://medexsupply.com.

derekhennen.bsky.social•8 days ago

Ooh thanks Charley! I'll check it out.

arachnonaut.bsky.social•12 days ago

Can I ask where you buy your glass vials and larger jars? The last arachnid curator I asked apparently gets the glass specially hand blown for their collection, which doesn't sound feasible for me.

derekhennen.bsky.social•12 days ago

I just use plastic vials for my personal collection so I don't deal with the glass vials and jars, but @apheloria.bsky.social might be able to share where he sources them for the VTEC. Definitely not hand blown!

derekhennen.bsky.social•12 days ago

I believe the 3 dram ones here is what I've used in the past for shell vials https://www.fishersci.com/shop/products/fisherbrand-glass-shell-vials-15/p-205027

apheloria.bsky.social•11 days ago

16OZ Fisher (PTFE lid liner) 02992840 jar

hugsforbugs.bsky.social•13 days ago

A curse on all snap cap jars and vials too.

bugsorbust.bsky.social•13 days ago

There is immense disappointment when they shatter in my hand.

hugsforbugs.bsky.social•12 days ago

And then you have to fix it, and as long as you’re doing that you should do the next one before it breaks…

4 days later you wake up in a haze of old ethanol and plastic chips. You’re surrounded by new full vials. You’re finished!!

But wait, look on your elbow, where did that label come from?!?

humanbyweight.bsky.social•12 days ago

This is psychological horror

jessecm.bsky.social•13 days ago

longer-term, lots of different vials can leak, so you have to keep an eye on ethanol levels. Some museums get around this by putting a bunch of little vials with cotton stoppers into a large canning-style jar with a good silicone seal (like those illustrated here https://kitcheninstitute.org/kitchen/best-mason-jar-seal

bugsorbust.bsky.social•13 days ago

Great point!

ellipsoptera.bsky.social•13 days ago

I have a day set aside every winter for the Annual Rehydration Event lol

waynemaddison.bsky.social•13 days ago

Ethanol 70-80% is the standard for long term preservation. We're still using specimens that are 140 years old. (For them, the bigger danger has been light exposure.) 95% ethanol is better for DNA, but worse for the body structures, as they become brittle. Ethanol is much better than isopropanol.

sockynoob.bsky.social•13 days ago

Alcohol actually breaks down the specimen from what I remember. It's ethanol that you wanna use. Both sadly discolor the specimen.

spiderdaynightlive.bsky.social•13 days ago

er yes, that is correct. my brain has ethanol just as a subcategory of alcohol. you can tell i was not good at any lab/bench work

waynemaddison.bsky.social•13 days ago

Ethanol is a subcategory of alcohol, so your brain was doing well! It's so standard in the field that we often just say "alcohol", meaning "ethanol".

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