Total Nucleic Acid Preservation Tubes – 69200: Reliable Ambient Swab Sample Transport
The Total Nucleic Acid Preservation Tubes (69200) provide a robust, room-temperature solution for the collection, transport, and storage of total DNA and RNA from swab samples. In molecular biology and genomics research, maintaining the cold chain during specimen transport is often costly, logistically challenging, and prone to failure, risking the degradation of sensitive nucleic acids. This product eliminates the need for immediate sample processing or freezing, offering an essential lifeline for remote collection sites, field research, and centralised testing facilities. Designed for compatibility with various swab types—including nasal, buccal, saliva, faecal, and surface swabs—these tubes ensure the integrity of your genetic material from collection to extraction.
Each tube contains 1.2 mL of a proprietary liquid preservative that rapidly permeates the swab specimen upon immersion. This advanced chemical formulation actively lyses cell membranes and instantly neutralises nucleases, halting the enzymatic degradation of both DNA and RNA. Furthermore, the preservative possesses strong antimicrobial and antiviral properties, effectively preventing the growth of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria, yeast, and fungi, while fully inactivating infectious agents such as viruses (including SARS-CoV-2). This renders the sample non-infectious, ensuring safe handling and compliant transport without requiring hazardous biological shipping protocols.
Key Benefits:
- Ambient Temperature Stability: Eliminate cold chain logistics. Preserved DNA remains stable for over 4 months, while RNA is fully protected for over 2 months when stored at room temperature.
- Pathogen Inactivation: Ensure safe handling and transport. The liquid preservative thoroughly inactivates viruses, bacteria, and fungi, converting potentially hazardous biological samples into non-infectious specimens.
- Universal Compatibility: Seamless integration into your workflow. Samples preserved in these tubes are directly compatible with most commercially available DNA and RNA isolation kits, including Norgen’s dedicated purification systems.
- Versatile Collection: Broad sample compatibility. Optimised for preserving nucleic acids from a wide variety of inputs, including nasal, buccal, saliva, faecal, skin, and environmental surface swabs.
Technical Insights
The efficacy of the Total Nucleic Acid Preservative lies in its dual-action mechanism: rapid cell lysis combined with immediate biomolecular stabilisation. By instantly denaturing cellular proteins, the formulation prevents the enzymatic degradation of labile RNA transcripts, maintaining a highly accurate snapshot of the transcriptome at the precise moment of collection. Independent testing demonstrates the preservative’s ability to completely inhibit the growth of microbial populations over extended periods, guaranteeing that sensitive downstream applications like RT-qPCR, next-generation sequencing (NGS), and microarray analyses are not compromised by bacterial or fungal overgrowth during transit.
Specifications
- Volume of Preservative: 1.2 mL per tube
- Sample Compatibility: Swab specimens (nasal, buccal, saliva, faecal, skin, surfaces)
- DNA Stability (Room Temperature): > 4 months
- RNA Stability (Room Temperature): > 2 months
- Storage Conditions (Unused Tubes): Room temperature
- Shelf Life: 1 year from date of manufacture
- Pack Size: 50 tubes per kit
- Regulatory Status: Research Use Only (RUO)