Biomatrica has released DNAgard, a room-temperature-based liquid formulation for stabilisation and storage of tissues and cells.
DNAgard is the latest addition to the company's portfolio of solutions for room-temperature storage, archiving, stabilisation and transportation of biological samples.
Utilising Biomatrica's Samplematrix technology platform, DNAgard is said to simplify transport and storage of tissues and cells at room temperature by preserving the quality and quantity of genomic DNA in these biological samples.
With the release of DNAgard, tissues and cells can be conveniently shipped and/or stored in a liquid format for at least 60 days at ambient room temperature without losing sample quality.
An optional dry-down format permits room-temperature stabilisation of DNA in tissues and cells for at least one year.
Tissues are currently transported in dry ice and stored at -80C until further processing.
These cold shipping and storage methods are expensive, non-environmentally friendly, take space in the freezer and in shipment.
The shipping of a few tissue samples on dry-ice requires a 10lb package size and costs an average of USD150 (GBP92) when shipped nationally.
Using the DNAgard solution, these samples can be shipped at ambient temperature in an envelope for an average cost of only USD10.
Samplematrix is based on extremophile biology in which organisms are able to survive long term in a state of anhydrobiosis (life without water) and later be revived by rehydration.
Extremophiles such as tardigrades, also known as water bears, are able to protect their DNA, RNA, proteins, membranes and cells in a dried state for extended periods of time.
Biomatrica's technology mimics the natural molecular mechanisms used by these organisms.
