Announcing Mycoblitz Europe Sequencing Program!
This year, we are partnering with the Ohio Mushroom DNA Lab to sequence the most European specimens possible. If you have trouble identifying a mushroom or you want a confirmation for your identification, those are especially interesting for us. However, common or easy to identify species are also needed and welcome!
How do I have my specimens sequenced?
In the field
- Join the project "Mycoblitz Europe" on iNaturalist (process here).
- Take pictures of the mushroom you find in the wild (if you forgot that part, you can still photograph it later).
- Collect the mushroom trying not to damage it.
- Secure the specimen in a container separate from the other mushrooms.
At home
- Organize and dry the specimens in a dehydrator. A common way to organize them is to add labels on the samples. The specimen should be completely dry at the end. The mushroom shouldn't be dried too hot or too long to avoid damaging the DNA it contains. To avoid losing small specimens in a dehydrator, you can place them on bottle caps or a similar object. Small taxa (Mycena, Arrhenia, Inocybe, etc.) can be dried by placing them in a hot and dry well-ventilated place but this should be done only if it's not possible with a dehydrator.
- Upload the observation to iNaturalist. If this step is missing, the observation won't be counted in the Mycoblitz Fall Europe 2023 project and won't be sequenced.
- Label the specimen with the iNaturalist number and place it into a ziplock bag. You can write on the bag using a permanent marker or place a small paper sheet inside. The only information required is the iNaturalist unique observation number (more on that below).
- At the end of the event, package all your specimens and send it by mail to the address below. For UK residents, the shipping will be handled by MycoPunks group and will cover all the costs for international shipping. Don't forget to add your iNaturalist username so we can contact you when the package arrives!
- The sequences obtained will be then added to your iNaturalist observations! Make sure you allow other people to add observation fields so you can receive the sequence.
Mail address
For everyone
For UK residents
Obtaining the iNaturalist number
On Desktop
On Android
On iPhone
You must open the link in a browser window and look at the last digits of the URL.
FAQ
Which collections will be sequenced?
Every collection included in the Mycoblitz Europe Fall 2023 can be sequenced. This means that you can send the collections made during all the running time of the event from October 19th, 2023 to October 29th, 2023. Pathogenic fungi can be troublesome to work with as US customs don't allow it. You can send it anyways, we will try to find a way to sequence them as well at a later date.
Where will my specimens go?
A small fragment of the specimens will be sent for sequencing. The rest will be kept in the private herbarium of Nicolas Schwab until we find an institutional herbarium accepting them. If you want to keep some of the specimens for later studies, please do it before sending it.
What will happen to my sequences?
The sequences will be added to the observation fields of your mushroom observation. This data is public as we plan on doing a citizen science project.
Can I send my previous collections or ones made after the event?
No, unfortunately it's not possible. The sequencing program is only for the event. But please keep them anyways, it's a very important resource to study! Future sequencing programs could handle the sequencing of them.
Contact
If you run into any problems, please contact the staff (@nschwab).
Further reading
The tutorial from the Ohio Mushroom DNA Lab
Harries D. 2017. DNA and the field mycologist: part 1. Field Mycology 18(1): 20-23. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fldmyc.2017.01.006
Harries D. 2017. DNA and the field mycologist: part 2. Field Mycology 18(3): 92-96. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fldmyc.2017.07.008
FunDis. Collect & Document. https://fundis.org/sequence/collect-dry/collect-document
Comments
If I send samples of Cortinarius and Hortiboletus/Xerocomellus on October 28th from Lithuania, will they be identified?
@vitalijdrozdov The problem is that it won't be counted in the project at this date. However, you can photograph them and create the observation on the 29th so it will be included.
Are lichens accepted for the sequencing?
@jonasgruska They're accepted for sequencing but I'll have to look for another collaboration. They will be sequenced a bit later than the rest.
which genes are to be sequenced?
@fermin16 For now, we can only sequence ITS.
Hello, I don't know in advance if I will participate in the sequencing project, but I am creating herbaria of foliar diseases. I think I have the drying and pressing technology pretty well mastered. I was wondering 1. if leaf disease samples are accepted. 2. is it necessary for samples to show sporulation? 3. is it possible to send a sample that I am unable to identify to species? Thank you for your reply.
@pavelsink 1. Plant diseases are accepted but will be sequenced in Europe, so it won't be done at the same time as the other specimens. 2. It's not necessary for samples to show sporulation but at least there should be fungal structures. 3. Yes, you can send samples you can't identify precisely.
Hi, I was wondering if there's a size limit to the samples we can send? Also, can slime molds be sequenced? Thanks in advance.
There are no limit to the number of samples you can send. The myxomycetes can be sequenced. However, if too many samples are sent all of them won't be sequenced. I discussed about a collaboration and they said they will sequence the most interesting and important ones.
I have a collection from October 18 - would it be accepted for sequencing?
@bore Unfortunately not. But I can send it later along with other specimens but it will take longer.
Hi Nicolas.. I have a problem with sending the mushrooms at the post office..!
The post office does not want to accept the package because it is biological stuff and shipping outside the EU is prohibited.
What can I do..??
@purenature I will try to find an answer.
The event is over, some ID's are very welcome: https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?project_id=mycoblitz-europe-fall-2023&verifiable=any&place_id=any
Yeah, I send fungi during next week. I have una problemo, because many of samples have only one fruiting body, like Glutinoglossum cf. heptaseptatum, Geoglossum cf. elongatum and Peziza cf. granulosa (maybe not current name).
How I will managed with this problem nschwab ? ❤️
Best regards Martti Rajamäki
@marttirajamaki For these species, if you want to study them later, you can place only a small piece of them in the bag and I will send it like this for sequencing.
Best regards,
Nicolas
Than you really much Nicolas ! ❤️
I think that I want to keep something like copy on my own fungario. What will happeen to samples which are not so interesting ? I mean those which are not possible to sequencing.
@marttirajamaki They will be kept in my private herbarium until I find an institutional herbarium that want to keep them.
Thanks Nicolas! Is there something like deadline for sending samples. For me it is possible to send next friday, I mean 10.11. :)
I would like to receive all samples before December.
So I do not need to hurry :) I will sent my samples during next weekend.
Cheers, Martti
Hi, I will send you a package with fungal materials to be sequenced from the student project MycoBlitz FunEco 2023 (under the umbrella of Mycoblitz Europe fall 2023). As we want to keep the specimens in the Fungarium of the University of Lodz (part of the Herbarium Universitatis Lodziensis LOD), I am going to send you just small fragments of sporocarps suitable for sequencing (~2-3 mm). Will placing them in 1.5 Eppendorfs, properly labelled with their i-Naturalist observation number be okay?
@ikalucka Yes, that would be perfect!
Exciting initiative! I'm eager to participate and contribute to the Mycoblitz Europe Sequencing Program. The detailed instructions are clear, and I look forward to adding valuable data to the citizen science project.
Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay. I said I would notify you when I received your package but unfortunately I was quickly overwhelmed. I wanted to do that on Wednesday but I was sick... I'll try to find some time for that.
Curious, how many packages did you receive in total (around) ?
Similarly as Isabella, I would like to keep the collections at PRM fungarium in Prague. If possible, I only send the vials with "DNA pieces"? I would send the amples on Monday/Tuesday.
@bore Yes, no problem about that!
@rudolphous I'd say I received 20-30 packages as of now.
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