Living Herbaria

This study challenges the assumption that herbarium specimens are unsuitable for transcriptomics by demonstrating that informative mRNA can be extracted from them. Researchers successfully assembled transcriptomes from RNA derived from herbarium samples, comparing them to fresh and silica-dried samples. The practical value of archival mRNA was showcased by functionally validating a plant immune receptor from a 1956 specimen. Despite lower RNA integrity scores in older samples, next-generation sequencing and phylogenetic analysis were still possible, revealing evolutionary relationships. The research highlights the importance of preserving herbaria, as they can be used to investigate plant genetics and disease resistance using advanced sequencing techniques. Ultimately, the work broadens the scope of historical mRNA research, emphasizing the significance of herbaria as vital resources for biological exploration.Source: Herbaria provide a valuable resource for obtaining informative mRNAAlexa S. Tyszka1, Khong-Sam Chia2, Eric C. Bretz1, Linda Mansour1, Drew A. Larson3, Philip Carella2 and Joseph F. Walker. doi:  https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.02.12.637878