Date of Award
Spring 5-7-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Science (BS)
Department
Marine Science
College
College of Science
First Advisor
Lauren M Stefaniak
Abstract/Description
Ethanol is commonly used to preserve DNA in biological samples. Because ethanol extracts substances from the tissue that could either damage DNA or interfere with procedures such as PCR, best practice is to change the ethanol out daily until it remains clear. However, when working in the field, ethanol supplies can be limited, leaving many researchers to wait until they have access to their main lab ethanol, possibly after weeks, to change the ethanol in their samples. To determine if best versus common preservation practices affect DNA quantity and quality and downstream molecular protocols, fiddler crabs were collected from Garden City, SC and stored in three different ethanol treatments: best practice—ethanol immediately changed out daily for seven days, common practice—ethanol changed out daily for seven days after a two week delay, and control—ethanol not changed between preservation and DNA extraction. DNA quantity and quality were measured on a Nanodrop spectrophotometer as ng DNA/µg dry tissue and A260/A280. 18S was amplified to determine if PCR success was affected by the different treatments. Twelve samples from each treatment were amplified using PCR. There was no significant difference in DNA quality or quantity between treatments, and PCR success was the same between all treatments.
Recommended Citation
Hancock, Austin J., "Analyzing DNA Preservation Techniques Using Fiddler Crabs" (2026). Honors Theses. 519.
https://digitalcommons.coastal.edu/honors-theses/519