Opened plates are sensitive to storage conditions:
- It is essential to immediately close the aluminium envelope after opening.
- Do not throw away the desiccant: the plate should be sealed with the desiccant inside the envelope. This should be carried out rapidly, as the desiccant will quickly absorb humidity and become inactivated after 10-30 minutes.
- The end of the aluminium envelope should be cut with scissors and closed in an air-tight manner along the entire length of the envelope, with scotch tape, for example. (Simply folding-over the edges and/or stapling is insufficient to ensure sealing.). Please refer to the photos on the document Plate storage.pdf
- Store at 5°C ± 3°C.
The majority of ID Screen® kits have a shelf-life of 24 months from the production date.
Please refer to the document which indicates the storage conditions (duration and temperature) for each kit component:
We do not indicate an exact expiry date because these sera are very stable over time thanks to their freeze-dried form.
You may consider that they can be kept for up to 10 years from the production date (indicated in the upper right-hand corner of the product sheet). Store freeze-dried at +2° – 26°C.
For information regarding storage in the reconstituted (liquid) form, please refer to the product sheet.
In general, liquid sera should be stored as follows:
- Store at -20°C in aliquots after reconstitution.
- Never freeze/thaw more than 3 times.
- If reconstituted, store at +4°C for up to 2 days.
Once reconstituted, the sera should be aliquoted and stored in air-tight vials (preferably with a twist cap, such as a cryotube). Otherwise, auto-lyophilisation may occur within 6-12 months at -20°C.