Optimizing and standardizing the preservation of animal tissue for molecular biodiversity research

Description

The demand for genome-quality tissue samples is rapidly growing. While the number of samples preserved specifically for molecular use is increasing steadily and nonlinearly, knowledge on optimal sample storage is still very limited. Often, sample preservation is led more by 'traditions' than scientifically informed best practices.

Coordinated by ZFMK, several members of GGBN's Task Force on Biobank Procedures (see Team page) have set up 'Tissue Preservation Study 1' to investigate, in a long-term experiment, the effect of various commonly used preservation fluids (ethanol, propylene glycol, TES buffer, DMSO/NaCl, RNAlater and a surrogate, Qiagen AllProtect) on invertebrate and vertebrate animal tissues.

The results are meant to increase standardization among animal biobanks and to enhance suitability of samples for current and future downstream analysis.

Location