Endophyte 3.0 (SH, AQ, more?)
Answer: Maybe.
Experiment
We compared our Standard protocol to a modified protocol. From the same leaf, we
1) cut disks → surface sterilize as usual → plated
AND
2) cut a large piece of leaf → surface sterilized → THEN cut disks with a (sterile) cork borer.
Results
The data are scattered, particularly in terms of total fungi scored (Table ). Except for the student 2 experiment, each experiment looks internally consistent. Taking the data in the aggregate: with the standard protocol 75% of the disks were negative and with the modified protocol, 62%. These numbers are both high compared to previous experiments, but still are close to each other. Overall there does not seem to be a significant difference between the modified and standard protocol (chi square?)
Table: Modified vs. standard surface-sterilization
