Method to prevent silica-based column aging
Methods and kits using a humidifying agent to prevent or reduce aging of a silica-based columns. A beneficial result of the method is associated robustness of column nucleic acid binding capacity, compared to an aged column.
1. A method to prevent or reduce aging of a silica-based column comprising:
storing a silica-based column in a hermetic storage environment, the hermetic storage environment containing at least one humidifying agent, thereby reducing aging of the silica-based column in comparison to a silica-based column stored in the hermetic storage environment in the absence of the humidifying agent.
2. The method of claim 1 , further resulting in enhanced nucleic acid binding capacity of the silica-based column.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the humidifying agent is at least one of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid-potassium salt, a crosslinked acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer and potassium salt, Cigar Mechanic, or a composition comprising water, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, xanathan gum, and/or propylene glycol alginate and/or gellan.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the composition comprising water, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, xanathan gum, and/or propylene glycol alginate and/or gellan humidifying agent is a salt solution that absorbs or releases moisture for use in controlling humidity in closed environments.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the hermetic storage environment is a plastic bag.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the silica-based column is a gravity-flow column, a vacuum-assisted flow column, or a spin column.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the humidifying agent results in a relative humidity in the range of 40% to 70% in the hermetic storage environment.
8. A method to comprising:
storing a silica-based column in a hermetic storage environment containing at least one humidifying agent, thereby enhancing nucleic acid binding capacity of the silica-based column in comparison to a silica-based column stored in the hermetic storage environment in the absence of the humidifying agent.
9. A kit comprising:
at least one humidifying agent, wherein the humidifying agent is at least one of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid-potassium salt, a cross-linked acrylamide/polyacrylic acid copolymer, and a potassium salt, or a composition comprising water, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, xanthum gum, and/or propylene glycol alginate and/or gellan;
a silica-based column;
a container for providing a hermetic storage environment for the silica based column; and
instructions for storing the silica-based column using the kit.
10. A composition comprising:
a package; and
a hermetic storage environment, the hermetic storage environment containing:
(i) at least one humidifying agent, and
(ii) a silica-based column.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the humidifying agent is incorporated within the hermetic storage environment.
12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the silica-based column is at least one of a gravity-flow column, a vacuum-assisted flow column, or a spin column.
13. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the humidifying agent is at least one of a crosslinked polyacrylic acid-potassium salt, crosslinked acrylamide/acrylic acid copolymer and potassium salt; Cigar Mechanic; or a composition comprising water, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, xanathan gum, and/or propylene glycol alginate and/or gellan.
14. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the hermetic storage environment is a plastic bag.
15. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the hermetic storage environment has a relative humidity in the range of 40% to 70%.
16. A composition of claim 10 , wherein the hermetic storage environment is substantially impervious to air and/or water and/or water vapor.