Category Archives: Purification & Processing

What are the minimum requirements for shipping mRNA over a 24-48h period? Is there a minimum volume that it should be shipped at e.g. not less than 100 ul? Could a lower volume mean the mRNA is more susceptible to degradation? Are there certain buffers that you always recommend? Is there an easy assay that could be carried out each time the mRNA is used to determine whether any loss in quality has occurred? Many thanks-Heather

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Dear Heather,

Thank you for the inquiry. We routinely prepare aliquots of our mRNA in sizes as small as 20 uL @ 1 mg/mL, although we do not recommend aliquot sizes any smaller than 20 uL. We also ship all of our mRNA products in an insulated box on dry ice, and recommend storage at -40°C or below.

We formulate all of our catalog mRNAs in 1 mM Sodium Citrate, pH 6.4. We have found that this buffer provides both high solubility and stability of the mRNA when stored and handled properly. If you have identified a different buffer that you prefer, we can likely formulate the mRNA in that buffer for you as an alternative. We do recommend that single-use aliquots be prepared in order to minimize freeze-thaw cycles, which can cause degradation. To analyze the mRNA prior to use, we recommend confirming the length of the mRNA on a gel and/or bioanalyzer.

Best Regards,

Scott

What are your recommended conditions for running a gel for mRNA or long RNA transcripts?

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The conditions we recommend for running a gel are:
We run a 1% agarose gel. Depending on the size of the gel/number of wells, we load 250 ng to 1 ug of mRNA. We dilute mRNA to 0.2 ug/uL, then add equal volume of NorthernMax Gly sample loading dye.

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For making a 1% agarose gel, we would use 50 mL of gel and 0.5 grams of agarose. Microwave the agarose until melted and allow to cool for ~10 min. Add 0.5 uL of ethidium bromide. Swirl gently to mix. Pour gel.