It's fall, who has a phage-related Halloween costume? More importantly, who wants to send us phage DNA to sequence? If you do, please read below for details on sample prep and shipping for this year. (We are also accepting photos of Halloween costumes. ;)

Contact Us/Questions

Please send any questions about the information below to Dan (dar78@pitt.edu) and Becky (rag4@pitt.edu).

Sample Submission Form

Please submit the information about the samples you are sending using this Google Form. This will help us keep track of samples, correct any spelling errors, and make sure your samples are accounted for. Please fill out a copy of this form for each sample you are submitting. The best time to fill it out is as you are getting your shipment packed, so that when your box arrives, we'll already have the information on your phages in our database.

If possible, please add a tracking number in the appropriate place on the form to help ensure all packages are accounted for. Please note whether each sample is a "Priority" or "Backup" in the Notes field, along with any other info we should have.

https://forms.gle/9aHqQyB7mwZqZHyZ8

Quantity

Each SEA-PHAGES school may have two genomes sequenced per Bioinformatics section that it is teaching during the current academic year. That way, each bioinformatics section will have two genomes to annotate if all goes well. We encourage you to send a backup sample or two as well (if you have them) in case any samples fail our QC checks. Please indicate any order of preference for which samples to prioritize, if you have one.

Deadlines

Getting samples in early, if you have them ready, is always appreciated!

Semester Schools

Please send your genomic DNA so that it arrives in Pittsburgh by Tuesday, November 25, 2025.

Quarter Schools

Please send your genomic DNA so that it arrives in Pittsburgh by Wednesday, January 7, 2026.

If you will have trouble meeting these deadlines for any reason, please contact us.

Guidelines for DNA

Buffer

Samples that are resuspended in TE are problematic, since the EDTA may interfere with enzymatic shearing of the DNA. You can resuspend your DNA in Elution Buffer (Tris), T(1/10)E, or in purified water. Avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles or vortexing to ensure genomic DNA arrives intact.

Amount

We need a minimum of 3 µg (micrograms) of genomic DNA. If you're in the ballpark of this number but not quite there, contact Dan and Becky to see if it's okay.

Concentration

At least 40 ng/µl. Ideal is 100-300 ng/µl. If you're above 300 ng/µl please consider diluting to a workable concentration and workable volume. Shipping a volume less than 20 µl is not recommended. Keep in mind that spec-based quantifications (like Nanodrop) count all absorbance at 260 nm, not just genomic DNA, so they often overestimate the real genomic dsDNA concentration. Please err on the high side of the amount of DNA you send when possible.

Gel Picture

Please submit—either via email or in the shipping box—an image of the gDNA being run on an agarose gel. We use these to look for sample integrity (not already sheared/degraded) and purity (no RNA).

Labeling

Please clearly label the tubes you are sending with the name of the phage as it appears on PhagesDB. Don't label tubes using student's initials only, or other ambiguous names like "Phage1" or "PittPhage". If possible, put a small circular sticker on the top of the tube and write the phage name only on it.

Shipping

Please ship samples, as described below, for delivery to Pittsburgh on Mon-Thurs. We sometimes have issues with Friday deliveries, and don't want any samples to sit over the weekend.

Also, we are unable to receive samples from Nov 26 to Dec 1, and again from Dec 22 to Jan 2. Please avoid shipping during these times.

Packaging

We prefer standard 1.5-ml microcentrifuge tubes, and strongly recommend wrapping the caps with Parafilm to prevent spilling or evaporation. The tubes can be packed into a 50 ml conical tube with some KimWipes to stabilize them during shipment. If shipping overnight (preferred), you can actually just send the samples at room temperature, as the DNA should be fine for 24 hours in transit. If shipping on a slower schedule, you should use cold packs. Aim for delivery to Pittsburgh on Tuesday-Friday. If shipping near holidays, please check with us about when we'll be around to receive samples.

You can include a packing slip with any information you think we should have about the enclosed phages.

Address

Attn: Dan Russell
University of Pittsburgh
303 Clapp Hall
4249 Fifth Ave
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
(412) 624-6976

Sequencing Additional Samples

We at Pitt aren't set up to sequence extra samples for cost. There are a number of commercial sequencing options out there, but when finding independent sequencing, we strongly recommend Illumina sequencing and a ligation-based prep rather than a tagmentation-based prep.

Archiving Samples

Just a note that archiving samples should be sent to the same address as above, and so if it's convenient to you, you can send DNA samples and archiving samples together in a single box.