Cultures and spores of AMF are released from requests made to the curator and sent in the following forms:
1. Dry inoculum - composed of spores, hyphae, pieces of roots and standard substrate, sent in 200 ml quantities stored in zip-lock bags and packed in a reinforced cardboard box.
2. Spores - spores are extracted from single-species cultures and sent in three forms: a) in sterile sand or filter paper inside glass or plastic bottles, b) in eppendorfs with 0.05% sodium azide, and c) in permanent slides.
3. Mixed inoculum (1 liter or more) - composed of spores, hyphae, pieces of roots and standard substrate and consisting of a mixture of fungal isolates of different species to be used immediately in experiments. To acquire this inoculum it is necessary to be communicated in advance of the necessary quantity.
In compliance with Brazilian law, a Material Transfer Term needs to be signed between FURB and the Institution that requests AMF cultures to ensure that they are not used indiscriminately for purposes other than research and that are not passed on to other institutions indiscriminately. In addition, it is important for the CICG to monitor the fungal germplasm released if intellectual property rights may exist.
The cost of one culture sent as a dry inoculum is R$ 100,00 (One hundred brazilian reais) for professors, researchers and graduate students associated with University or Research Institutes and the shipping costs are payed by the applicant. The cost for commercial companies will depend on whether the cultures will be for research and experimental purposes or for commercial purposes, and costs will be agreed in advance with the CICG curator.
As soon as we receive the request to send one or more fungal isolates, the culture stocks are checked to make sure there is enough inoculum, and an e-mail is sent to confirm availability. Afterwards, 02 copies of the Material Transfer Term (MTT) will be sent, which will be signed by the representative of the receiving institution and returned to the FURB curator. Afterwards, one of the copies of the MTT will be sent with the cultures to the recipient. For companies, once payment is made (instructions sent via email), the inoculum will be sent within 2-3 business days.
It is important to remember that not all fungal isolates are propagated in large quantities. This way, if the stocks of a given culture are not enough to meet a requisition, the requester will be immediately informed and another isolate can be recommended for the use of inoculum. Advance planning of experiments and prior contact with the CICG avoid this type of problem.
a) in sterile sand or filter paper - The number of spores sent will depend on the researcher's needs and the culture conditions at the time of request. Usually the number of spores sent will be 400 spores. The cost of each culture is R $ 100.00 for professors, researchers and graduate students. The cost for commercial companies is higher and will depend on whether the cultures are for research and experimental purposes or for commercialization.
b) in sodium azide - Clean eppendorf containing clean spores of only one AMF species can be ordered for research or teaching purposes. Approximately 100-150 spores are sent, depending on the species. This option can be used for molecular biology studies, by mycology teachers interested in showing the different genera of AMF, or just to have spores of a species in the laboratory (for comparison purposes in diversity studies). All spores will be extracted from single-species cultures, cleaned and shipped within 2-3 days of payment. The cost of one eppendorf with spores in azide is R$ 30.00 for professors, researchers and graduate students and R $ 60.00 for companies.
c) on slides - AMF spores can be mounted on slides with PVLG and PVLG + Melzer reagent (1: 1). This option can also be used for teaching purposes (basic mycology, soil microbiology) or to have a collection of slides for reference. The slides are prepared with spores extracted from single-species cultures and are sent within 20-30 days after payment. The cost of one permanent slide with AMF spores is R$ 10.00 for professors, researchers and graduate students and R $ 60.00 for companies.
The mixed inoculum consists of a mixture of several fungal isolates, from different geographical regions. The option of choosing a mixed or single-species inoculum depends on the objective of the experiment. The mixed inoculum may be an option in experiments that focus on the response of the mycorrhizal plant versus a non-mycorrhizal plant or in cases where urgent inoculation in large quantities is needed.
The cost of this inoculum for companies varies according to the quantity and will be agreed upon at the time of request.