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Inspired by the post about extracting pet DNA, how long would genomic DNA be stable for in a -20°C freezer? It is common practice to store DNA (double-stranded, plasmid) in a -20°C freezer in the lab, but would genomic DNA last longer in a -80°C freezer? With either method, how long would it be stable for?

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It depends on your concentration. More concentrated DNA is more stable. – jp89 May 11 '12 at 14:42
Closely related to this question - if not dupe? – Rory M♦ May 11 '12 at 19:31

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If the DNA is pure, it should last quite a long time. If there are enzymes and other biological molecules in there, -80C will work much better.

I think you could keep pure DNA at -20C practically indefinitely.

Purity is the main issue there, also pH stabilized, sealed properly, etc. That makes all the difference.

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I would say that even at 4°C the stability is fairly high – nico May 12 '12 at 12:23

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