Brian,
When you get back, we’ll start photographing plates again. Before you do so, please catch me so I can show you the process. It is also described here: http://www.ambrosiasymbiosis.org/photographing-cultures/

Experiment with SDS-EDTA.

1. Please make 100 ml solution of 2% SDS and 100mM EDTA. Borrow these chemicals from the Smith lab (Adam Black know that you are coming) and use deionized water.
2. Prepare 18 live beetles from one of the plastic boxes in the lab.
3. Pour the solution in a small soda bottle, and throw 9 beetles in it. Do not close the bottle! Hang the bottle (open) outside on a tree where no one will disturb it.
4. The other 9 beetles will go in ethanol and in the freezer; label the tube “SDS-EDTA experiment”.
5. 5, 10 and 15 days from the start, remove 3 beetles from each treatment, extract DNA (MoBio kit) and run a gel. Measure DNA concentration using quantitative ladder.