Sample information

This ant was found on the bridge at the Columbus Trail at the Pingry School. The ant was walking on the rail of the wooden bridge over a stream in the middle of the forest, in the suburban area.

Methods

The first step of the project was collecting an ant from the woods. After the specimen was collected, I extracted its DNA by cutting off the abdomen, isolating the genetic material. Next, I performed  polymerase chain reaction (PCR) to amplify the DNA. Once PCR was complete, I measured the DNA concentration using a NanoDrop, which showed a concentration of 52.5 ng/µL. I then conducted gel electrophoresis to determine whether the ant was infected with Wolbachia. The gel results confirmed the presence of Wolbachia in the specimen. After this, I purified the PCR products and measured their concentrations again using the NanoDrop, obtaining values of 24.3 ng/µL and 6.5 ng/µL. Finally, I submitted the purified DNA samples for sequencing to further analyze the genetic material.

Results

The confidence level is low because my original prediction for this arthropod was a Camponotus nearcticus. After purifying the PCR product, the results did not match my original prediction. The results aligned with Phaonia.