How to store a tick for the laboratory? - briefly
Place the tick in a tightly sealed vial with 70 % ethanol and store it at –20 °C to prevent DNA degradation. Label with collection data and keep the vial away from light and repeated freeze‑thaw cycles.
How to store a tick for the laboratory? - in detail
Preserving tick specimens for research requires consistent methodology to maintain morphological integrity and DNA quality. Follow these steps:
- Collect the arthropod with fine forceps or a soft brush, avoiding damage to mouthparts and legs.
- Place each individual in a labeled 1.5‑ml microcentrifuge tube containing 70 % ethanol; ethanol concentration should be verified with a calibrated densitometer.
- Ensure the ethanol volume fully submerges the specimen; add a drop of glycerol if the tick is large to prevent dehydration.
- Seal the tube tightly and store it at 4 °C for short‑term holding (up to 30 days). For longer periods, transfer to –20 °C, keeping the ethanol fresh by replacing it after each thaw‑freeze cycle.
- Record collection data on the tube label: species (if known), date, geographic coordinates, collector’s name, and preservation medium.
- Transport tubes in insulated containers with ice packs to maintain the recommended temperature range; avoid exposure to direct sunlight or extreme heat.
- For DNA extraction, remove the tick from ethanol, rinse briefly in sterile phosphate‑buffered saline, and proceed immediately or freeze at –80 °C. For morphological studies, retain the specimen in ethanol and avoid repeated freeze‑thaw cycles.
- Dispose of used ethanol according to institutional hazardous‑waste protocols; decontaminate work surfaces with 10 % bleach solution after handling.
Adhering to this protocol ensures reproducible results across molecular and taxonomic investigations.