Your Blood is Out for Delivery: Considerations of Shipping Time and Temperature on Degradation of RNA from Stabilized Whole Blood
Stefanovic et al.
The finding, in our words
Self-collected whole blood stabilised with homeRNA maintains RNA integrity suitable for sequencing after two days at 37°C or six hours at 50°C, and after ambient summer shipping to 14 US states, which supports decentralised transcriptomic research and telemedicine.
A paraphrase to the Library’s standard, never the abstract. The source is one link away and is always the authority.
This developer study reports that a self-collection kit interfacing with a BD Microtainer produced RNA of sufficient quality and yield for transcriptomic analysis in a pilot group and a longitudinal rheumatology cohort. Most participants found the device easy to use, supporting its utility for decentralised blood sampling.
Eakman et al., Analytical chemistry (paywalled) · source ↗
Self-administered finger-stick blood collection enables routine healthcare assessments without clinic visits, but diagnostic utility depends critically on sample processing and storage. While new materials address haematocrit effects and enable precise low-volume sampling, no single device meets all clinical needs, and plasma separation remains essential for expanding applications.
Baillargeon & Mace, Bioengineering & translational medicine · source ↗
Saliva samples collected using the OMNIgene ORAL device and oral wash samples remain stable for microbiome diversity and relative abundance analyses for up to five years when stored at -80°C. This supports the use of these self-collection methods for long-term prospective biobanking and decentralised clinical studies.
Slack et al., Microbiology spectrum (paywalled) · source ↗
Self-collected salivary progesterone and the ratio of estradiol to progesterone showed strong agreement with serum levels, supporting the use of saliva as a noninvasive matrix for monitoring the menstrual cycle.
Goldenstein et al., Physiological reports · source ↗
This study validated a lateral flow fluorescence assay using quantum dots for saliva and europium nanoparticles for serum to detect cortisol within physiological ranges. The test operates in 15 minutes with a handheld reader, supporting point-of-care and at-home monitoring without a cold chain.
Bruno et al., Journal of fluorescence (paywalled) · source ↗