TITLE: DToL Taxon-specific Standard Operating Procedure for the Terrestrial and Freshwater Arthropods Working Group
AUTHORS: Lyndall Pereira, Olga Sivell, Laura Sivess, Chris Fletcher, Gavin R. Broad, Liam Crowley, Inez  Januszczak

[DESCRIPTION]
This Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) collection contains guidance on how to process the various terrestrial and freshwater Arthropod taxa within the scope of the Darwin Tree of Life (DToL) project. The guidance specifically refers to the tissue samples needed for DNA barcoding (which takes place at the Natural History Museum (NHM)) and outlines the dissected tissues required for whole genome sequencing (WGS), which takes place at the Wellcome Sanger Institute . Every specimen is submitted for DNA barcoding first before potentially being sent to the Wellcome Sanger Institute.

[GUIDELINES]
Use: The taxon-specific dissection procedures are split according to the taxonomic order of Arthropoda, life stage and size. This guide outlines how to dissect specimens for DNA barcoding, genome sequencing, and specimen vouchering when relevant. Different taxa often require different sampling, preparation, photography, storage techniques and processes. 

A set of questions in tabular form are used to summarise procedures for broad taxonomic groups, accompanied by taxon-specific pictorial dissection guides. 

Details for field collection type, photography, dissection, storage and voucher curation of broad taxon groups are provided. Larger Orders are grouped under the larger dissection procedure headings due to their similar morphology. Please see the Sanger Sample Submission SOP (link below) for general details on physical handling of specimens, including cold chain use, and collation of metadata for sample submission to Sanger.

Future plans for this SOP: This SOP will be reviewed on an ad hoc basis by the Terrestrial and Freshwater Arthropods Working Group to incorporate feedback from the community.

Raising issues: We are still developing best practice and elements of this SOP are subject to change. If you would like to share any advice, comments, techniques or lessons learned, please do not hesitate to email darwintreeoflife@nhm.ac.uk or inez.januszczak@nhm.ac.uk. 

Links to SOPs relating to this document:

Sanger Sample Submission SOP v2.2
Sanger Sample Metadata Recording SOP v2.0
NHM DNA barcoding SOP v2.1

Document History [add below]
 
     Version      Date      Major changes      Contributors        1.0      2020-04-07      Draft   version      Lyndall   Pereira (NHM)        2.0      2020-04-29      DNA   barcoding for reference library at NHM edited      NHM: Olga   Sivell, Laura Sivess, Gavin Broad, Ben Price, Lyndall Pereira        3.0      2020-05-13      Addition of   pictorial dissection for each taxon group      Liam   Crowley (Oxford WW) and Lyndall Pereira (NHM)        3.1      2020-07-17       SOP text   split into Order-specific SOPs. Uniform style, publication quality images   with colour blind friendly dissection lines      Olga   Sivell, Laura Sivess        4.0      2022-01-04      Overall   formatting further improved (including spelling/ punctuation changes, table   of contents links), photo guides made more uniform, edits in protocol made to   reflect any adaptations in the sampling process since July 2020, additional   taxon protocols included, unrequired taxon guides removed. First submission   to protocols.io.      Inez   Januszczak (NHM), Liam Crowley (Oxford WW), Olga Sivell (NHM), Laura Sivess   (NHM), Chris Fletcher (NHM)   
 

Pictorial dissection guide graphics: Olga Sivell (NHM)

Photos: Olga Sivell (NHM), Laura Sivess (NHM), Christopher Fletcher (NHM), Ben Price (NHM), Harry Taylor (NHM).

Acknowledgements: Thank you to all the Curators and Scientific Associates at NHM for looking over and revising these SOPs. 


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