Stable protein storage and stable nucleic acid storage in recoverable form

• US 8,431,384 B2
• Filed: 07/07/2009
• Issued: 04/30/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2004
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: GenTegra, LLC (Genisyss, LLC)
• Original Assignee: GenVault Corp. (Thermo Fisher Scientific Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hogan, Michael, Davis, James C.
• Primary Examiner(s): DESAI, ANAND U
• Application Number:
  US12/499,031
• Publication Number:
  US 20100178210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 435/283.1
• CPC Class Codes: A01N 1/0263 Non-refrigerated containers specially adapted for transporting or storing living parts whilst preserving, e.g. cool boxes, blood bags or "straws" for cryopreservation
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 38/02 Peptides of undefined number of amino acids; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/042 characterised by the nature of the carrier
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 1/047 Simultaneous synthesis of different peptide species; Peptide libraries
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 17/00 Carrier-bound or immobilised peptides carrier-bound or immobilised enzymes C12N11/00; Preparation thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C07K 17/08 the carrier being a synthetic polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/1006 by means of a solid support carrier, e.g. particles, polymers
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/543 with an insoluble carrier for immobilising immunochemicals
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/68 involving proteins, peptides or amino acids involving lipoproteins G01N33/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/6842 Proteomic analysis of subsets of protein mixtures with reduced complexity, e.g. membrane proteins, phosphoproteins, organelle proteins
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 436/2525 Stabilizing or preserving

Abstract

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.

Claims

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.