Vaccines, drugs, antibodies, enzymes, cells, blood, and scores of other biological materials are highly temperature sensitive. Fluctuations in temperature can reduce the efficacy, decompose, or shorten the shelf life of biologics. Therefore, it is important to store biologics at the right temperature using standardized protocols. Freezing in standard laboratory freezers set at -20 °C or -80 °C is the most popular mode of biological preservation. However, some biologics, including enzymes, may lose their efficacy at low temperatures, particularly if subjected to multiple cycles of freezing and thawing. For commercially available biologics, it’s best to follow manufacturer’s protocols when storing for long or short term.1
What, when, and why to freeze at -20 °C
Freezing at -20°C is ideal for biologics that are unstable at room temperature (20 °C) or in refrigerators (4 °C). Nucleic acids extracted from tissue samples are optimally dissolved in a stabilizing solution or lyophilized before storing ...
