Jack Silberstein
2014
First Year Conclusions and Directions
We had a very successful year. It is worth noting that this project did not exist a year ago. The hard work of the Tague lab crew is evident. We have successfully cultivated endophytic fungi from Magnolia grandiflora. We have isolated purified cultures for some of these fungi and established long-term stocks. We have obtained consistent
First Year Conclusions and Directions Read More »
Project 6) Does size matter with the modified protocol?
Endophyte 3.1 (BWT) ANSWER: Smaller is better, but the 2.5 cork borer may be the best to use for consistent results. The modified protocol is fine, but it is more difficult to keep the tissue sterile during the cork boring process. It is much easier to cut the disks first and then surface-sterilize them. Experiment:
Project 6) Does size matter with the modified protocol? Read More »
Project 5) Is the sterilization protocol too harsh?
Endophyte 3.0 (SH, AQ, more?) Answer: Maybe. Experiment We compared our Standard protocol to a modified protocol. From the same leaf, we 1) cut disks → surface sterilize as usual → plated AND 2) cut a large piece of leaf → surface sterilized → THEN cut disks with a (sterile) cork borer. Results The data are scattered, particularly in terms
Project 5) Is the sterilization protocol too harsh? Read More »
Project 4) Does size (of the piece of leaf tissue) matter?
Endophyte 2.0 Answer: Yes! But in a different way than Gamboa et al (2002). The population density of culturable fungi in our (temperate) Magnolia seems to be much lower than those found in tropical species. Consistently, a substantial number of leaf pieces have no fungi emerging from them. This might allow us to have a simple
Project 4) Does size (of the piece of leaf tissue) matter? Read More »
