We Have a New Goal!
Hello backers! We wanted to let you know some good news. We are going to be able to lower our fundraising goal while still being able to complete the project. Thank you so much to everyone that has supported us and made this study possible.
One of the reasons why we are able to lower the fundraising goal is related to the cost of analyzing fecal samples for endoparasites. Originally, we proposed $600 to cover sending the samples to another facility for testing using microscopy and antigen detection. Instead, however, we have decided to use PCR to test for 2–3 common gopher tortoise endoparasites (i.e., pinworms [Alaeuris sp.], Cryptosporidium spp., and Entamoeba spp.). Luckily, we already have the supplies (reagents, plastic consumables), laboratory infrastructure, and equipment needed to analyze the samples using PCR. This approach will also enable us to test the fecal samples from the tortoises from Loggerhead Park, which were saved frozen and therefore are not good candidates for microscopic analysis for fecal pathogens.
We also ended up having some donated consumable supplies that we are able to use for this project. This includes syringes, needles, glass slides, gauze squares, sterile swabs, blood collection tubes, cryovials, transfer pipets, microhematocrit tubes, and assay reagents. Use of these materials does not negatively affect our ability to conduct or complete any other ongoing projects in the Page-Karjian Lab.
Funds that we still need will cover having plasma samples analyzed at the University of Florida for antibodies to Mycoplasma agassizii and M. testudineum, and at the University of Miami using protein electrophoresis.
Another big reason we are able to lower of fundraising goal is sample size. The original sample size of 50 was based on the maximum allowable number of tortoise captures listed on our research permit from the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. Before we started this study, we were unsure of how many gopher tortoises were living on the Harbor Branch campus (understanding this is one of the goals for the project). Since starting the study in May, we have captured 26 individual tortoises. While we believe there are still a few more tortoises that have not yet been sampled, we are running out of accessible burrow locations in which to capture tortoises. We have been able to gather a lot of data from the tortoises we have caught so far, and believe that a sample size of 30 will provide enough statistical power to allow us to analyze and compare our results.
It costs $45 per plasma sample for serologic testing of plasma samples for Mycoplasma spp., totaling ($45 x 30 =) $1,350 for 30 samples. It costs $30 per sample to analyze plasma samples using protein electrophoresis, totaling ($30 x 30 =) $900. Combined, the cost of these two assays is $2,250. Our new crowdfunding goal of $2,400 will cover these costs as well as the cost of extra supplies that we did not already have stocked in the lab.
We are so excited to be so close to our new goal!! We wanted to give you this update because we sincerely appreciate your generous support of gopher tortoises and of our work to better understand their population health and demographics. We would not be able to do this without you – Thank You!!
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