This seed sterilization technique is effective for quickly sterilizing seed batches of Arabidopsis thaliana before placing them in petri dishes to grow. Keep in mind that although sterilization is best practice, the quality of the actual seeds play a big role in susceptibility to contamination.
Purpose: to reduce contamination during experiments
Materials needed: 70% ethanol, microcentrifuge tubes, pipettes, filter paper
- Carefully funnel the Arabidopsis seeds into a 1.5 – 2 mL microcentrifuge tube.
- Label tubes if using multiple types of Arabidopsis (mutants or different ecotypes).
- Use a small pipette to gently dispense a moderate amount of 70% ethanol into the tube containing the seeds.
- Let the seeds sit in ethanol for about 2 minutes (feel free to give the tube a shake) and then let the seeds settle to the bottom of the tube.
- Use a small pipette to remove as much ethanol as possible, taking care not to remove seeds.
- Add a second wash of ethanol by repeating step 3.
- Remove the seeds by pipetting both the ethanol and the seeds.
- Gently dispense the seeds and ethanol onto filter paper so they are ready to sow.
Technique learned from the Gilroy Laboratory at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.