FAQs
GENERAL QUESTIONS
Our solution is based on the process of freeze-drying, widely recognized in the food and pharmaceutical industries. However, implementing this process in research centers, hospitals, laboratories, or any company working with biological samples has historically been complex and poorly adaptable to the volumes and specific requirements of these environments. Thanks to a series of patented technological innovations in our S3 device and stabilization kits, designed for each type of biospecimen, we have been able to adapt and standardize this process.
Our solution offers a complete and ready-to-use alternative that seamlessly integrates into the user’s regular workflow. We eliminate the need to rely on the cold chain, along with the associated inconveniences and risks.
Our Stabilization Solution for DNA and PLASMA&SERUM is already available for users. Currently, we are developing solutions for other types of samples, such as blood, cell lines, and tissues, which will be available in the future.
No. Stabilized samples can be stored in a conventional shelving cabinet, in a room maintained at room temperature (between 15°C and 27°C), and not directly exposed to sunlight.
Yes. Besides of minimizing the sample loss risk due to failures in the ULT or back-up plans in 300K Solutions, we conduct quality controls for each of our applications. You can view the quality controls we perform for each application on our website:
Our solution is ready-to-use and has been designed for easy integration into the user’s regular workflow. Depending on the type of sample and the format of the 300K stabilization kit chosen, we have created the corresponding Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure a successful stabilization. In general terms, a protocol would include the following steps:
- Choose the type of sample to stabilize.
- Add the sample to the vials with the specific lyo-buffer for the selected sample type.
- Select the appropriate program on the S3 device and load the vials following the instructions displayed on the device screen to start the process.
- Once the stabilization is complete, the samples are ready to be stored at room temperature.
- When necessary, rehydrate the sample and use it in subsequent applications.
Yes. Just as you would with cryopreserved samples, samples stabilized with our solution can be used and stabilized again following the corresponding SOPs for each application included in the stabilization kits.
No, the specific excipient formulations for each biological sample has been carefully design to not interfere in downstream applications. Checking these possible interferences is the base of our validations that we perform both internally and with external laboratories. You can review the results of these testing in the section application for each sample type.
DNA
Our solution allows stabilizing 400µL of purified DNA with concentrations ranging from 50 to 200 ng/µL in our 2R vials (DNA stabilization kit 24).
In case of having a volume less than 400µL, the solution would be to adjust to 400µL volume using the elution buffer you used in your extraction. It is important to note that by adjusting the volume, your final DNA concentration will change.
For example: You want to stabilize 300µL of DNA at a concentration of 50ng/µL. Since the volume is less than 400µL, you will need to pipette the entire volume of your sample into our vials with lyobuffer plus 100µL of the buffer you used for the extraction. With this new volume, your sample will be less concentrated, with a final concentration of 37.5 ng/µL, which will be important to consider for your next experiments.
Our S3 equipment can accommodate two racks in a single cycle. Therefore, in one cycle you can stabilize 48 samples.
DNA Stabilization Kit 24: with 24 vials coated with lyobuffer.
To use the stabilized DNA, it needs to be rehydrated with molecular biology-grade water. The volume of water to use for rehydration is the same volume that was lyophilized previously, so you will have to add 400µL of water to successfully rehydrate your sample
Yes. You can re-stabilize the leftover sample as long as you have 200µL or more of it left. You simply need to select the corresponding program on the device and load the vial(s) following the instructions displayed on the device screen to start the process, just as you did the first time.
To use the re-stabilized sample in the future, you will need to rehydrate them with the same volume of molecular biology-grade water that your sample had when you stabilized them: If you re-stabilized a volume of 250µL , to use it in downstream applications it’s necessary to rehydrate it in 250µL of water.
You can repeat this cycle of re-stabilizing the same sample up to 20 times.
On one hand, there is no minimum number of samples that can be stabilized. We have conducted loading studies, which have shown that our equipment functions the same regardless of the number of samples stabilized per cycle.
If, on the other hand, you want to accumulate all the samples received over time to stabilize them all at once, the protocol to follow would be to keep these samples refrigerated at 4ºC ( from 1 to 2 weekss) or frozen at -20º (from 1 to 2 months) and proceed with the normal protocol once you decide to stabilize them at room temperature (aliquoting them into our vials and loading them into our equipment).
300K Solutions has subjected DNA samples to quality control based on the standards of the Spanish National DNA Bank and the ISBER Best Practices for Repositories guidelines:
- Agarose gel electrophoresis to study integrity
- Spectrophotometry to study purity and concentration
- Long multiplex PCR to study functionality and integrity
- Qubit fluorometer to study concentration
You can verify these tests here: DNA and plasma-serum. We continue testing the samples to provide you with solid data over time.
At time zero, our study has demonstrated a 100% sample recovery rate after the process. We used fresh samples as controls and compared the results with those obtained from frozen samples. We intend to further extent this study over time and periodically actualize said information in our website.
We have tested the purity, integrity and functionality of samples stabilized with our solution for 4 years at room temperature and at 60°C (accelerated degradation conditions). These accelerated degradation conditions allow us to know, through mathematical models, the equivalent real-time degradation at room temperature, which would be approximately 54 years.
PLASMA&SERUM
Our solution allows for stabilizing from 500 to 1000 µL of plasma in our 2R vials (Plasma and Serum Stabilization kit 24).
Our S3 device can accommodate two racks in a single cycle. Therefore, in one cycle you can stabilize 48 samples.
Plasma and Serum Stabilization Kit 24: with 24 lyobuffer coated vials.
To use the stabilized plasma/serum, it needs to be rehydrated with molecular biology-grade water. The volume of water to use for rehydration is the same volume that was lyophilized previously.
For example: If you stabilized 500 µL of plasma/serum, you will need to rehydrate it with 500 µL of molecular biology-grade water.
Yes. Let’s say we stabilized and rehydrated 1 mL of plasma/serum, but only use 400 µL. The remaining 600 µL can be re-stabilized. You simply need to select the corresponding program on the device and load the vial(s) following the instructions displayed on the device screen to start the process, just as you did the first time.
The minimum sample that could be re-lyophilized in this way in the 24-vial stabilization kit would be 200 µL.
On one hand, there is no minimum number of samples that can be stabilized. We have conducted loading studies, which have shown that our equipment operates in the same way regardless of the number of samples loaded for stabilization.
On the other hand, if you prefer to accumulate all the samples received over a period of time to stabilize them all at once, the protocol to follow would be to freeze these samples at -80°C upon arrival. Once you decide to stabilize them at room temperature, thaw them and proceed with the normal protocol (by aliquoting them into our vials and inserting them into our equipment).
