Hello! Has anyone experience in storing field collected insects (mosquitoes in tropical climates) for insect and included parasites RNA/DNA extraction (using TRIzol/TRIreagent method) and qPCR analysis? No cold chain involved and as cheap as possible. Reviewing the literature I thought about comparing the effect of RNAlater, RNAfix (homemade RNAlater), methylated ethanol or FTA cards. I was wondering whether there are other methods that more cost-effective as possible? Many thanks!
Corrado - give the guys at Porton Down a call (or me if you don't have their contact details). They have much experience with this.
Hi Corrado,
Here is a publication for the preservation of insects to be used in spectroscopy. This publication resulted from experience on field trips in Nigeria and Cameroon for insects that would be analyzed in Bamako, Mali. And Dr Floyd Dowell's experience in Tanzania. It is good you are not involving cryo-preservation at any point in the tropics.
I may suggest SILICA GEL for a short period. I had serious degradation of materials preserved in ethanol on one hand and on the other hand, methanol fixes molecules and may not yield very good results during DNA/RNA extraction.
I hope this helps
good luck
Direct preservation of field insects/vectors on Cryovial at -80 yields good results as well silica gel or direct extract from field insect sample is best. in our labs. However, the results depends on your methods of extraction (we use QIAGEN DNA/RNA extraction kits) and other factors such as nature, extend and duration of such sample exposure on heat/hot environment if use blackbox catch or other contaminants. &0% or 100% ethanol or methanol fixed yield is weaker and amplification at certain concentration below 1.11 may not happen or faintly and hard to read on UV or blank( non amplification reaction)
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