Genome sequences of spp. CF3062 and CF3016 isolated from nodules found on herbarium specimens collected in 2004 and 2015.

We present the genomes of two isolates isolated from nodules found on herbarium specimens at the Marion Ownbey Herbarium at Washington State University. These genomes and others from herbarium specimens offer an unprecedented opportunity to study the bacterial evolution of plant-associated microbes over long time scales.

Back to the future: Using herbarium specimens to isolate nodule-associated bacteria.

Herbarium specimens are increasingly being used as sources of information to understand the ecology and evolution of plants and their associated microbes. Most studies have used specimens as a source of genetic material using culture-independent approaches. We demonstrate that herbarium specimens can also be used to culture nodule-associated bacteria, opening the possibility of using specimens to understand plant-microbe interactions at new spatiotemporal scales.