Jordan Withycombe1, Megan McConnell2, Xiao Yang1
1Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic, Department of Plant Industry, Regulatory Services Division, Clemson University, Pendleton, SC 2Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories, Diagnostic Lab, Charlotte, NC
The Communicator: Volume 5, Issue 5, May 2024
On April 28th, 2024, the staff members of Clemson Universit's Plant and Pest Diagnostic Clinic travelled to tour Bartlett Tree Expert's Diagnostic laboratory in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The laboratory is nestled within 365 acres of carefully preserved arboretum collections. The Clemson group got to see the beautiful tree collections housed there as well as the ongoing research projects on the property. All participants engaged in a casual business lunch where we shared our backgrounds and discussed similarities and differences between the two NPDN labs. Megan McConnell (Diagnostic Services Manager at Bartlett) and Sienna Borden (Molecular Technician at Bartlett) led an insightful tour of the laboratory facilities including their conventional diagnostic laboratory, root washing room, DNA/ RNA extraction room and PCR/qPCR room. We determined that both labs receive similar tree and shrub sample types and that we have many pieces of equipment in common. It sparked excitement as we discussed sharing protocols and helping each other troubleshoot difficult samples. For example, Sienna shared useful tips on DNA extraction and sequencing for mushroom ID. The prospect of collaborating and learning from one another highlights the importance of NPDN labs learning and working together to solve difficult problems and serve our clients. We are excited to continue the conversation back in our respective labs and know that this visit strengthened our connection with others in the NPDN plant diagnostic community.
