Long-term whole blood DNA preservation by cost-efficient cryosilicification

Authors：Zhou, Liang; Lei, Qi; Guo, Jimin; Gao, Yuanyuan; Shi, Jianjun; Yu, Hong; Yin, Wenxiang; Cao, Jiangfan; Xiao, Botao; Andreo, Jacopo; Ettlinger, Romy; Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Wuttke, Stefan^*; Zhu, Wei^*

Source：Nature Communications, 2022, 13(1): 6265.

DOI：10.1038/s41467-022-33759-y

• ROOM-TEMPERATURE
• SILICA
• STORAGE
• PATHOLOGY
• GENETICS
• QUALITY
• ROBUST

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'. @@@ Cost-effective methods for long-term storage of DNA are desired. Here the authors present a method for in situ cryosilicification of whole blood cells, allowing long-term and room temperature preservation of genomic information for only approximately $0.5 per sample.