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For dyes or reagents that are supplied lyophilized (as solids), it is hard to compare quantities based on appearance of the dye in the tube, because during the lyophilization process the dye can dry down in different ways, either spread out all over the tube, clumped together, or coating the sides or bottom of the tube. Centrifugation of the tube may not help in collecting the dye solid to the bottom of the tube as this generally works for solutions. However, lyophilized solids are packaged based on highly accurate absorbance measurement of the reagent solution prior to drying, so the vial will contain the correct amount of dye.

Biotium ships all antibodies (primary, secondary and conjugates) at room temperature. We guarantee their quality and performance under these conditions based upon our stability testing. Antibodies were subjected to accelerated stability testing by storing them at various temperatures (4°C, room temperature, or 37°C) for 1 week to mimic simulated shipping conditions and tested in immunostaining experiments. All antibodies showed the expected brightness and specificity, even after storage at sub-optimal temperatures for a week or longer. You can also download our Product Storage Statement here.

In line with our goal to be more environmentally friendly by reducing the use of excess packaging, and lowering shipping costs for our customers, products that have passed our stability testing are shipped at room temperature.

Once you have received the antibody vial, please follow the long-term storage instructions on the product information (PI) sheet.

The storage conditions that a Biotium label recommends are deliberately conservative. Long term storage at low temperatures usually will increase the time that the product will remain within specification, unless specific instructions otherwise are provided (such as “do not refrigerate” or “do not freeze”).

Biotium labels and product information sheets may show a specific temperature for long term storage, or a temperature range that is adequate for long term storage. For all products, the implied range is as follows for the following storage conditions:

• Room Temperature
  For Biotium products where the label indicates room temperature or RT, this implies storage in ambient conditions between 20°C and 30°C.

• Refrigerator
  For Biotium products where the label indicates 4°C, this implies storage in a refrigerator that is between 2°C and 8°C.

• Freezer
  For Biotium products where the label indicates -20°C, this implies storage in a freezer that is between -35°C and -5°C.

• Ultra Low Temperature Freezer
  For Biotium products where the label indicates -70°C, this implies storage in an ultra low-temperature (ULT) freezer that is below -60°C.

Some of our large volume light-sensitive products are packaged in amber bottles or amber glass vials, which are easy to handle and protect the products from light. However, amber micro packaging vials (0.5 mL or 2 mL) make it very difficult to see small quantities of dye when preparing solutions or pipetting. Therefore, we only package photoreactive dyes like PMA or PMAxx™ in amber micro packaging vials. Some of our reactive dyes are packaged in transparent vials, then sealed inside a moisture-resistant foil bag, which also will protect them from light.

Other fluorescent dyes in transparent vials should stored in the dark for long term storage. It’s fine to store dye vials uncovered in a windowless refrigerator or freezer with an automatic light shut-off. If dyes will be stored in a glass-front (deli-style) refrigerator, walk-in refrigerator/freezer, or at room temperature with constant light exposure, they should stored in a non-transparent box (like a white cardboard freezer box), in a closed drawer, in a black plastic bag, or covered with aluminum foil.

Fluorescent dyes generally are not sensitive to brief light exposure while they are being handled on the bench during an experiment. To be on the safe side, we usually loosely cover tube racks with a piece of foil if the dye vials are going to be out on the bench for more than 30 minutes or so. But most dyes are stable enough that even accidentally leaving them on the bench for a day will not affect performance. When handling photoreactive dyes like EMA, PMA, or PMAxx, we take the extra precaution of dimming the lights.

Coelenterazines are predominantly yellow solids, but may contain dark red or brown flecks. This does not affect product stability or performance. If your coelenterazine is uniformly brown, then it is oxidized and needs to be replaced.

Many of our solid compounds are packaged by lyophilization, in which case they usually do not appear as fluffy powders, but form a film or coating on the sides of the vial. Simply add the appropriate volume of the recommended solvent to the vial to make the desired concentration stock solution, and swirl or gently vortex to mix. Make sure the solvent comes in contact with the inside walls of the vial to fully recover the product.