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?
2
-
$\begingroup$ It depends on your concentration. More concentrated DNA is more stable. $\endgroup$– jp89May 11, 2012 at 14:42
-
$\begingroup$ Closely related to this question - if not dupe? $\endgroup$– Rory MMay 11, 2012 at 19:31
Add a comment
|
2 Answers
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
2
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.
-
1$\begingroup$ I would say that even at 4°C the stability is fairly high $\endgroup$– nicoMay 12, 2012 at 12:23
-
$\begingroup$ I usually keep plasmid minipreps at 4C for months its true. I think the difference is if the ends of the DNA are sheared or ragged, as in a typical gDNA prep, then it might not be so great to leave it unfrozen. $\endgroup$– shigetaJan 3, 2015 at 16:50
$\begingroup$
$\endgroup$
1
You can store your DNA for 1 week at -4C and for one month at -20C but with storing DNA over these period of time there is a deduction of 10-15% of yield from your DNA sample.
-
2$\begingroup$ Can you provide a citation for this? I am skeptical, because I routinely transfect cells using DNA stocks frozen years ago. $\endgroup$– user560Sep 5, 2013 at 15:02