FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

[GothicJackalPaws]

Now wait, hear me out.

My mom has some pretty powerful microscopes in her lab, and I know a fair bit about virology and general pathology. I'd really like a Spotty to experiment with, and to cut up so that I can compare its leaves and rhizomes to that of a healthy typical VFT. There's some speculation on whether the Spotty is a virus or not, so I'd like to at least see if there's something in the leaves that shouldn't be (in a normal and/or healthy flytrap.) I have access to a high-power optical light microscope, and an SEM, so this seems like the perfect opportunity to try.

I'd try to get pictures of what I see through the microscope to share on here, so that you guys can also get a good look.

And if it DOES turn out to be a virus... well, I'd like to do some experiments with it-- test transmission rate and methods, and see how much each subsequent generation of Spotty VTFs have retarded or stunted growth. I'd just really, really like to research it. This is the kind of thing that gets my mouth watering.

Thanks! ^-^

[Darkrai283]

Sorry, I don't have one on offer or even know where you can get one apart from trade with other people but they are pretty rare and 1 small 2cm division could cost you a couple of hundred bucks.
Just a heads up.

[GothicJackalPaws]

Sorry, I don't have one on offer or even know where you can get one apart from trade with other people but they are pretty rare and 1 small 2cm division could cost you a couple of hundred bucks.
Just a heads up.

-nearly bites tongue off reading this while eating dinner-



A couple hundred bucks?!?

I know Matt has one, but he said (at least I think he said) that he wouldn't be growing it and propagating it for other people, so I'd rather not bug (pardon the pun) him about whether he would be willing to give me a sample to work with in the lab.

Holy cow!