#putyourthingdownflipitandreverseit

DOING WEIRD STUFF WITH FRUITING BODIES 

I’m dying to see some lichen chromosomes. But first, me and my lovely partners need to grow some fresh tissue from spores...so we’re using a weird protocol that allows the spores to rocket out of the lichen fruiting bodies ( or ‘apothecia’) onto agar. In order to get them pointed the right direction, we use petroleum jelly to stick the apothecia to the lid of the petri dish, pointing towards the agar. The grocery store only had cocoa butter-infused petroleum jelly, so for once the plates smell really good....

PICTURES/STEPS:

1) First, stick the little apothecial disks to a wad of petroleum jelly on the lid of the petri dish. We used some lovely orange Caloplaca for this trial run.

2) Put the lid on. Secure with wax film to avoid contamination.