Biological Specimen Collection and Transport System and Method of Use

摘要

Disclosed are compositions for isolating populations of nucleic acids from biological, forensic, and environmental samples. Also disclosed are methods for using these compositions as one-step formations for killing pathogens, inactivating nucleases, and releasing polynucleotides from other cellular components within the sample, and stabilizing the nucleic acids prior to further processing or assay. The disclosed compositions safely facilitate rapid sample collection, and provide extended storage and transport of the samples at ambient or elevated temperature without contamination of the sample or degradation of the nucleic acids contained therein. This process particularly facilitates the collection of specimens from remote locations, and under conditions previously considered hostile for presenting the integrity of nucleic acids released from lysed biological samples without the need of refrigeration or freezing prior to molecular analysis.

主权项

1. A aqueous composition comprising: a) one or more chaotropes; b) one or more detergents; c) one or more reducing agents; d) one or more chelators; and e) one or more buffers, each present in an amount sufficient to denature one or more proteins, inactivate one or more nucleases, kill one or more pathogens, or prevent one or more nucleic acids from degrading in a sample suspected of containing nucleic acids, when the sample is contacted with the composition.