Hygrocybe or Hygrophorus sp ??

[NickCantle]

Originally Posted by kiltoncomp

i dont think anybody need worry about it, as the cost of having your days finds analysed by a laboratory will be out of most peoples reach anyway

Not really Many people, including a fair few on WAB send material off to be examined and identified at the Kew lab. There's no charge as long as you don't take liberties.

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Not really Many people, including a fair few on WAB send material off to be examined and identified at the Kew lab. There's no charge as long as you don't take liberties.

thats interesting , is that analysis by dna or more conventional methods?

[NickCantle]

Microscopic information and lots of field experience mixed with a mass of knowledge.

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

Microscopic information and lots of field experience mixed with a mass of knowledge.

so, to get a dna analysis would entail specialist knowledge beyond the scope of the service offered by kew??
if thats the case, then it probably would be a costly job?, which is what i meant to say in my previous post.

[NickCantle]

I don't think they've started employing any DNA recognition equipment, though I am prepared to be enlightened.

[CapAndBracket]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

I don't think they've started employing any DNA recognition equipment, though I am prepared to be enlightened.

From what little i know, they aren't actually using any DNA equipment, but due to the open source of science they will be at the forefront of knowing what results are comming out of research.

I think most of the phylogenetic work is done by phd students, looking at genetics, evolution, pathogenicity etc.

two examples i do know a bit about (both dung fungi).

a Sordaria.sp can be used in high schools for mendelian genetics, as it is
homothalic (dosn't need a different mating type to produce fruitbodies),
these are supplied with genetic variables such as spore colour (dark/light)
which can be seen under a X100 scope, so one of each can be crossed
and the resulting spore mix (or lack of ) easily counted.

A podospora.sp is being studied in france as it has a limited life/growth
so it being used to study cell scenesence (cell death) related to cancer.

A huge amount of DNA data is available on the net along with search and
comparison software to test species for similarity/variance, my course last
year triffled at the edge of this but i'm a long way from having a real grip
on the subject.

I don't think mobile DNA testing is far away (but the cost may keep it far
away from us), though eventually it will probably be part of a mobile phone.

Cheers J.P.

[flaxton]

Originally Posted by NickCantle

I don't think they've started employing any DNA recognition equipment, though I am prepared to be enlightened.

I think the DNA work tends to be done by universities often in Scandanavian countries or the States.

Mal

[NickCantle]

Ah alright then. More for research purposes than for ID purposes?

[kiltoncomp]

Originally Posted by flaxton

I think the DNA work tends to be done by universities often in Scandanavian countries or the States.

Mal

ive just read this in a post on another fungi group im a member of ,

there is a paper just been published regarding Boletus edulis species, that says B.betulicola has been merged back into B.edulis because the DNA isn't
distinguishable between the two,

food for thought!