GreenOhio wrote:@Matt: Great observation! These new G9 jars are easy to cap and work with. Obviously they can't be completely air tight else they'll explode during autoclaving, but from what I can tell there isn't a large enough gap for something the size of an ant to slip through. I'd imagine if one could do it with sealant film/tape it would be possible though. The caps lift up a little to release the pressure and are easily pressed back to closure.
I've never seen a G9 jar, but I was absolutely stunned to see a little sugar and be able to weave its way through sealing tape and under the lid of the jar. The baby food jars with the PhytoCaps don't have any sort of visible gap in them either.
GreenOhio wrote:I had a feeling your answer would be along those lines but figured I would try asking. Honestly, I was quite surprised to see you had shown as much as you have already. I can certainly understand wanting to protect the trade secret.
@GreenOhio, Never hurts to ask! Yeah, there's a reason that it's incredibly difficult to find much information online about how to tissue culture particular species of plants. In fact, I think the FlytrapCare tissue culture page might be one of the best online to give people somewhere to start.
GreenOhio wrote:I have a background in biological science which has certainly helped with getting around the learning curve for me
I'll bet! I didn't have any background in the field other than a few biology and chemistry lab classes I took as an undergrad, but we never did any TC work in those labs.
GreenOhio wrote:everthing is still very much trial and error.
Yep. That's why most people don't want to give away their protocols. What takes years, in some cases, to figure out can be easily communicated in just a few minutes. That's a lot of value in intellectual property to just simply give away for free.
GreenOhio wrote:If you should ever decide to teach a pay-per-view class that would be something I'd consider doing, even if I had the technique mastered.
That's good to know! Maybe someday!!
GreenOhio wrote:I think there are so many advancements waiting to be made in the horticultural science of Dionaea and other carnivorous plants. This may eventually prove to be a key factor for their conservation in the wild.
Possibly, but I think the main challenge most carnivorous plant species face -- and pretty much all endangered species for that matter -- is the loss of habitat. Poaching does impact some populations but the vast majority of wild plants are far more threatened by draining wetlands to put in strip malls, housing, business, etc. I think far more emphasis should be put on the conservation of natural wild spaces. If that were to happen, then I think the vast majority of threatened species would be far better off. And for those that are endangered or near extinction, then perhaps tissue culture could be used to propagate thousands of plants to repopulate nature with.