Freshwater mussel eDNA: water sampling and filtrationthrough Sterivex filter unit v1

The objective of this protocol is the sampling and the filtration of water samples through 0.45 µm Sterivex™ filter units. This protocol is used upstream to molecular biology analysis (e.g. qPCR, metabarcoding, ddPCR) to specifically target freshwater mussel eDNA. Once filtered, Sterivex filter units can be stored at room temperature or at 4°C for periods ranging from a few days to several months depending on the preservation buffer used (e.g. Longmire, CTAB, C1) or can be frozen directly without the addition of a preservation buffer for long preservation. This protocol allows to filter approximately between 0.5 L and 5 L through a Sterivex™ filter unit depending on the water sample characteristics and the chosen filtration method (syringe or vacuum pump).