Long-term whole blood DNA preservation by cost-efficient cryosilicification
Abstract
Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is the blueprint of life, and cost-effective methods for its long-term storage could have many potential benefits to society. Here we present the method of in situ cryosilicification of whole blood cells, which allows long-term preservation of DNA. Importantly, our straightforward approach is inexpensive, reliable, and yields cryosilicified samples that fulfill the essential criteria for safe, long-term DNA preservation, namely robustness against external stressors, such as radical oxygen species or ultraviolet radiation, and long-term stability in humid conditions at elevated temperatures. Our approach could enable the room temperature storage of genomic information in book-size format for more than one thousand years (thermally equivalent), costing only 0.5 $/person. Additionally, our demonstration of 3D-printed DNA banking artefacts, could potentially allow 'artificial fossilization'.
Citation
Zhou , L , Lei , Q , Guo , J , Gao , Y , Shi , J , Yu , H , Yin , W , Cao , J , Xiao , B , Andreo , J , Ettlinger , R , Jeffrey Brinker , C , Wuttke , S & Zhu , W 2022 , ' Long-term whole blood DNA preservation by cost-efficient cryosilicification ' , Nature Communications , vol. 13 , 6265 . https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33759-y
Publication
Nature Communications
Status
Peer reviewed
ISSN
2041-1723Type
Journal article
Description
Funding: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (21972047 to W.Z., 52003086 to Q.L.), Guangdong Provincial Pearl River Talents Program (2019QN01Y314 to Q.L.), the Program for Guangdong Introducing Innovative and Entrepreneurial Teams (2019ZT08Y318 to W.Z.), Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province, China (2021A1515010724 to Q.L.), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (2020M672625, 2021T140213 to Q.L.), Science and Technology Project of Guangzhou, China (202102020352 to W.Z., 202102020259 to Q.L.), the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China. The authors thank the support from the Guangzhou Women and Children’s Medical Center and Laboratory Animal Research Center of the South China University of Technology. S.W. acknowledges funding from the Basque Government Industry Department under the ELKARTEK and HAZITEK programs.Collections
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