Processing soil samples from the Southern USA. We use flotation, filtration, and concentration technique to isolate parasite DNA from dirt. @dwmccormick @BlackburnCrudo 
We first weigh and dry the samples, making the sample easier to work with and also maximizing the yield of parasite DNA.
After drying, we divide the samples an take a dry weight.
Some buffer with Tween to help with cleaning the sample.
Shake thourougly! The SPARTAN in action!
Filtration and concentration with the famous “Piglet”.
Using the MP fastDNA for soil kit, our go to method using bead beating to isolate parasite DNA 🧬. @MPBiomedicals
The equally famous “R2D2” breaking up helminth eggs and Protozoa cyst
Final product, 80 to 100 ul of purified and concentrated DNA from 50 gm of soil! We can currently detect 15 parasites that cause harm in humans and can be acquired from environmental exposure.
Special thanks to @dwmccormick for helping develop this method.
These 2 publications are the first use of this technique to detect parasites in environmental samples.
parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…
journals.plos.org/plosntds/artic…
These 2 publications are the first use of this technique to detect parasites in environmental samples.
parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.11…
journals.plos.org/plosntds/artic…
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