Biobanking involves the long-term storage of biological samples. When working in a biobank, it’s important to consider the possibility that storage containers, which are sterile, pyrogen-free, and disposable, can potentially still harm your valuable biological samples. When manufacturing tubes used in biobanking and research, caution is taken in sourcing raw materials (resins) that are virgin (not previously used) and adhering to various regulatory specifications. However, although utmost care can be taken in selecting the right resins for manufacturing, studies show that additives in polymers and their degradation products can leach from storage tubes, potentially affecting the assays you performed on biobanked samples.
What are extractables and leachables?
Extractables are chemicals that can potentially transfer from plastic consumables into a sample that comes in contact with the plastic. Manufacturing of plastics often involves addition of certain chemicals to give the desired properties of a plastic product. This can include UV stabilizers ...
