How can a tick be preserved for analysis in a jar? - briefly
Place the tick in a tightly sealed glass jar filled with 70 % ethanol, ensuring complete immersion, and keep the jar at 4 °C to inhibit decomposition. Label the container with collection date, location, and host details for accurate downstream analysis.
How can a tick be preserved for analysis in a jar? - in detail
Collect the specimen with fine‑point tweezers, grasping the tick as close to the mouthparts as possible to avoid crushing the body. Place it directly into a small, sealable glass or plastic container that can accommodate the insect without crowding.
Choose a preservative that maintains morphological integrity and DNA quality. Common options include:
- 70 % ethanol – reliable for both external features and molecular analysis; fill the jar so the tick is fully submerged.
- 95–100 % ethanol – preferred when DNA extraction is the primary goal; replace the fluid after 24 h to remove water.
- 10 % neutral buffered formalin – suitable for histological sections; limit exposure to a few days to prevent hardening.
- Freezing at –20 °C or lower – acceptable for short‑term storage when chemical preservatives are unavailable; avoid repeated thaw cycles.
Label the container with collection date, location, host species, and any relevant environmental data. Use waterproof ink or a pre‑printed label placed inside the lid to prevent loss of information.
Prior to analysis, remove excess preservative by gently rinsing the tick in sterile phosphate‑buffered saline if ethanol is used, then blot dry on lint‑free tissue. For microscopic examination, mount the organism on a slide with a drop of mounting medium; for DNA work, transfer a portion of the tick to a microcentrifuge tube containing lysis buffer.
Maintain the sealed jar in a dark, temperature‑controlled environment (15–20 °C for ethanol, –20 °C for frozen samples). Inspect the seal periodically for leakage or evaporation; replenish preservative as needed to keep the specimen fully immersed.
Follow institutional biosafety protocols: handle ticks with gloves, disinfect work surfaces after removal, and dispose of waste according to hazardous material guidelines. This systematic approach ensures the tick remains viable for morphological identification, pathogen detection, and genetic studies.