Swab Collection and DNA Preservation Kit: Long-Term Ambient Stabilisation
The Swab Collection and DNA Preservation Kit (45690-B) is an all-in-one system designed for the non-invasive collection, secure transport, and long-term storage of DNA from various swab types, including nasal, buccal, saliva, faecal, skin, and environmental surfaces. In field research and clinical diagnostics, the immediate processing or freezing of samples is often impractical. This kit addresses these logistical challenges by providing a proprietary preservation buffer that stabilises DNA at room temperature, eliminating the need for cold-chain logistics or expensive biobanking infrastructure.
The mechanism relies on a specialised liquid preservative that rapidly lyses cells while simultaneously protecting the released DNA from enzymatic degradation by DNases. Critically, the buffer also inactivates a broad spectrum of microorganisms—including Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria, fungi, and viruses—rendering the collected samples non-infectious. This allows for safe handling and cost-effective shipping via standard post at ambient temperatures. The preserved DNA remains high in molecular weight and integrity, ensuring compatibility with demanding downstream applications such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS), PCR, and microbiome profiling.
Key Benefits:
- Exceptional Ambient Stability: Stabilisation for up to 75 months. Components within the preservative allow DNA to be stored at room temperature for over 6 years without significant degradation.
- Pathogen Inactivation: Safe and easy transport. Rapidly inactivates viruses and bacteria, rendering samples non-infectious for safe handling and compliance with international shipping regulations.
- Universal Sample Collection: Versatile across various biological sources. Optimised for nasal, buccal, saliva, faecal, skin, and even environmental surface swabs, making it ideal for clinical and forensic use.
- Optimised for Microbiome Research: Maintains microbial profiles. Stabilises the microbiota profile at the point of collection, preventing population shifts and ensuring an accurate “snapshot” of the microbial community.
- Broad Downstream Compatibility: Ready for precision analysis. DNA isolated from these tubes is free from inhibitors and suitable for qPCR, SNP analysis, microarrays, and library preparation.
Technical Insights
Figure 1. Stability of DNA Preserved in Norgen’s Swab DNA Preservative at Room Temperature for up to 75 Months.
Saliva samples were collected from numerous donors and mixed, and then an equal volume of Norgen’s Swab DNA Preservative was added to the saliva. The preserved saliva was then stored at room temperature for up to 75 months. Saliva DNA was subsequently isolated at 1 week, 3 weeks, 1 month, 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 8 months, 12 months, 20 months, 32 months, 40 months, 52 months and 75 months from 0.5 ml of the saliva/preservative sample using Norgen’s Saliva DNA Isolation Kit (Cat. RU45400). For visual analysis, 100 µl of the purified DNA was run on an agarose TAE gel. As it can be seen, there is no evidence of DNA degradation after the saliva samples are stored for 75 months at ambient temperatures in Norgen’s Swab DNA Preservative. Furthermore, the size of the DNA was maintained over 24 kb for the entire 75 month period. M: Norgen’s UltraRanger 1 Kb DNA Ladder (Cat. 12100).
Specifications
- Preservative Volume: 1.2 ml liquid format
- Storage Temperature: Room Temperature (15 – 25 °C)
- DNA Stability: Up to 75 months at Room Temperature
- Shelf Life: 2 years for unused kits
- Applications: Human DNA, Viral DNA, Microbiome DNA, Environmental DNA
- Pathogen Inactivation: Effective against bacteria, fungi, yeast, and viruses
- Kit Contents: 50 individually wrapped sterile swabs, 50 preservation tubes pre-filled with buffer
- Downstream Compatibility: Manual and High-Throughput (HT) DNA isolation methods