Many citizen science projects such as the Wildlife of your Home and the thermophiles lurking in your basement projects have mailed sampling kits to participants. The kits are used, and returned to the lab for analysis. Listed here are the contents of sampling kits from various projects to give a sense of materials they contain. Feel free to make suggestions in the comments or to suggest additional considerations.
Thermophiles lurking in your basement kit:
The list of materials for this kit can be found in this document (“Enclosed Materials”), which was sent to the participants. Additional detailed information is below:
—- Groves, centrifuge tubes and syringes
From VWR.
—- PH test strip
From Amazon.
Phinex Diagnostic Ph Test Strips, 80ct -2 pack (160 strips)
—- Chlorine test strips
From Bailey’s Test Strips and Thermometers, 201-343-8004
Chlorine Tape CM-240 (2 rolls per box)
—- Thermometer
From Basic Sciences Supplies
Metal Backed Classroom Thermometer
Product # 360052
—- 30ml Nalgen bottle (HDPE)
From VWR. Cat# 16125-005
—- Filter”A”
Sterivex-GV 0.22 µm, PVDF, with Luer outlet, gamma irradiated
From Millipore. Cat# SVGVL10RC
—- Filter”B”
0.2um syringe filter
From VWR. Cat# 28145-501
Home Microbiome kit:
The kits will contain a sterile cotton tip from Puritan via VWR (catalog no. 82050-450) that will come presoaked in the buffer solution (PCR water and 0.15M NaCl), which will have been autoclaved beforehand. We will have each swab in a 15mL sterile Falcon tube. Swabs for each day/week will come in a labeled plastic bag for organization purposes. Participants will swab 6 contact surfaces and three human areas every other day for 4 weeks.
Each house will also contain 3 data loggers that will record humidity and temperatures in the household though out the day, where the participants will not need to manipulate in any way. Each house will also be provided with a -20C freezers as well for participants to store their samples. Essentially, the participants will only have to grab the appropriate bag, open the falcon tube, swab the appropriate surface and place the swab back in its falcon tube and bag.