Come in Out of the Cold: Alternatives to Freezing for Microbial Biorepositories

Biorepositories are “libraries” in which biospecimens, bacteria, or DNA and RNA extracts are stored for either clinical or research purposes. Such specimens enable modern molecular-based research and could support method verification, validation, quality control, and, in some cases, proficiency testing in clinical laboratories. Cryopreservation of extracted nucleic acids ensures the stability and longevity of DNA and RNA from patient samples, with the most common methods used for long-term storage of samples being the use of −80°C freezers or liquid nitrogen.

Source: Clinical Microbiology Newsletter - February 4, 2017 Category: Microbiology Authors: Erica Isaacs, Monika Schmelz Source Type: news