We wish to store antibody which will be at 2 - 2.5 mg/mL in a glycine buffer. We store at -80°C. If we store single use aliquots of 13 uL in screw cap o ringed vials (max volume 0.5mL) will they have a shorter shelf life than larger 500 uL aliquots (in same tubes)? I am thinking if there is any sublimation at that temperature which may effect smaller aliquots more than a larger aliquot.
I routinely freeze 10 uL aliquots in at -80 and I never had any problems. If you spin down the sample after thawing, you will have your protein in proper concentration. If you do the initial dilution of the protein in the same vial, there will be no problems. I recommend keeping smaller aliquots rather than larger. Goodluck
I agree with Budida's suggestions. I used to store 20 uL aliquots. I did not come across any problem. It is good to aliquote in a size that can be sufficient for single use. Otherwise if you aliquot in a large size, your target protein may converted into its unstable forms due to repeated freeze-thawing.
Just remember the general rule not to use self-defrosting freezers. In those sublimation is a problem.
-80s as far as I know do not self-defrost. We also routinely store 13 ul aliquots at -80 without problems, however they are all generally used up within 3-4 months. Would longer storage be an issue? Is there any evaporation in an -80 freezer? Could we keep them for one year, two years with no problems?
Hi there,
If caps are tightly screwed, there will be no problem provided you collect the full sample by centrifugation after thawing it and right before use.
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