Stable protein storage and stable nucleic acid storage in recoverable form
View Patent ↗The invention provides compositions and methods for storage of biomolecules. The biomolecules are stored via absorption to a substrate. Absorbed biomolecules can be eluted or recovered from the substrate at a future time, and optionally be subjected to a subsequent analysis or application. Biomolecules absorbed to a substrate for storage may also optionally be preserved, i.e., the absorbed biomolecule is resistant to or resists degradation.
1. A storage unit having
a plurality of compartments, each compartment having a physical size sufficient for holding an elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate, and
an elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate comprised in a compartment,
wherein said elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate comprises a material selected from the group consisting of polyester, polystyrene, polyurethane, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), and
wherein a peptide or a nucleic acid is absorbed to said elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate.
2. The storage unit of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for eluting or recovering an absorbed peptide or absorbed nucleic acid from the elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate.
3. The storage unit of claim 1 , further comprising instructions for preparing an aqueous liquid for eluting or recovering an absorbed peptide or absorbed nucleic acid from the elutable porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate.
4. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein each of said plurality of compartments is a well in a multi-well plate.
5. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the peptide or the nucleic acid absorbed to the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate has higher resistance to degradation than a peptide or a nucleic acid not absorbed to the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate.
6. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate comprising the peptide or the nucleic acid absorbed thereto contains less than 25% water by mass relative to the total mass of the absorbed substrate.
7. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein at least 30% of the peptide or the nucleic acid absorbed to the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate is recoverable from the substrate.
8. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate is a foam or a sponge.
9. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the material comprising the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate is reversibly compressible to at least ½ of the volume of the material in a non-compressed state.
10. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the material comprising the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate is reversibly expandable to at least 2-fold the volume of the material in a non-expanded state.
11. The storage unit of claim 1 , wherein the porous or semi-porous elastomeric substrate further comprises a substance selected from the group consisting of buffers, chelating agents, denaturing agents, detergents, reducing agents, antioxidants, preservatives, stabilizing agents, protease inhibitors, nuclease inhibitors, anti-microbials, and low-water uptake saccharides.