Sample Submission Guidelines — Shipping & Requirements

Before you ship

The Sample Submission Form

Every shipment needs a completed Sample Submission Form — electronic (emailed ahead) or on paper with the samples. Sample names on the form must match the labels on the tubes exactly, in name and in quantity. Please also email an electronic copy of the form and any QC data you already have (concentration, OD ratios, RIN) ahead of arrival.

Tube labeling. Label the top of each tube lid with a maximum of 4 alpha-numeric characters (e.g. 4B01). Write sample names with a black permanent marker at the top and side of the tube — never with an oil pen directly on the tube wall.

Sending raw material rather than extracted nucleic acids? Our Sample Preparation & Extraction platform and Quality Control platform handle extraction and QC reporting for you — the protocols in the step-by-step section below cover the most common raw sample types.

Packaging & shipping

Shipping guidelines

A shipping address, tracking checklist and courier account details are provided once your booking is confirmed — logistics vary by platform and lab location. The rules below apply to every shipment.

Match the form to the shipment. Double-check that sample names and quantities on the submission form exactly match what's physically sent.
Use 1.5 mL centrifuge tubes where possible, sealed with parafilm. Insert them into 50 mL centrifuge tubes (or another rigid support) padded with cotton or foam, so they can't be crushed in transit.
For large-scale projects, use well-sealed 96-well semi- or fully-skirted PCR plates, or strip-tubes with individually attached caps. Seal every well with an adhesive sheet/foil and cushion the plate or strip tubes in a sturdy box. Ship plates on frozen blue ice or dry ice so samples stay frozen throughout.
Never write directly on the tube with an oil pen. Use a black permanent marker at the top and side of each tube.
DNA in 70% ethanol can travel at room temperature. DNA in H₂O or TE buffer needs ice packs.
RNA, cells, bacteria and frozen tissue should be snap-frozen in liquid nitrogen, then shipped on dry ice. The amount of dry ice/ice packs needed depends on season, transit time and foam box thickness.
Blood samples travel best in 5–10 mL plastic anticoagulant collection vessels, each wrapped in bubble wrap and packed in a rigid box to prevent crushing.
Notify us before shipping — send the Sample Submission Form and tracking number by email so we can register and process your samples on arrival. We can't receive packages on weekends, so please time shipments to arrive on a weekday.
We recommend FedEx, DHL or UPS for all shipments.

Genomics platform

DNA sequencing service sample requirements

DNA can be submitted in DNase-free water, elution buffer, or 10mM Tris pH 8.0. Samples should be RNase-treated, show no degradation or contamination, and have an OD260/280 as close to 1.8–2.0 as possible. Ship with ice packs. These requirements apply to our Genomics platform.

Concentration note. Values below assume fluorometry (Picogreen/Qubit/RiboGreen). If you're relying on spectrophotometry (e.g. Nanodrop) instead, increase concentrations by roughly 2×.

Illumina services — DNA10 services · view full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity	Minimum quantity	Minimum concentration
Whole Genome Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 500 ng	200 ng	10 ng/µL
Whole Genome Sequencing (PCR-free)	Genomic DNA	≥ 1 µg	500 ng	20 ng/µL
Whole Exome Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 500 ng	100 ng	10 ng/µL
Complete Plasmid DNA Sequencing	Plasmid DNA	≥ 1 µg	500 ng	20 ng/µL
Viral Genome Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 1 µg	500 ng	20 ng/µL
Amplicon Sequencing	Purified Amplicon	≥ 1 µg	500 ng	20 ng/µL
GBS / ddRAD	Genomic DNA	≥ 300 ng	100 ng	10 ng/µL
Metagenome Sequencing	Metagenome DNA	≥ 500 ng	20 ng	5 ng/µL
16S / 18S / ITS Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 100 ng	10 ng	1 ng/µL
SSR Genotyping	Genomic DNA	≥ 500 ng	200 ng	10 ng/µL
HLA Typing	Genomic DNA	≥ 200 ng	—	—
	Cells, PBMC	≥ 1×10⁶	—	—
	Blood	≥ 1 mL	—	—
	Buccal swab	2 swabs	—	—
	Dried blood spot (DBS)	2 completely filled spots, 10 mm diameter each	—	—
TCR-Seq	Genomic DNA	≥ 2 µg	—	20 ng/µL
	PBMC	≥ 2×10⁵	—	—
	Animal tissue	≥ 500 mg	—	—
	Blood	≥ 0.5 mL	—	—

Metagenome Sequencing and 16S/18S/ITS rows above are delivered through our Metagenomics & Microbiome platform; see also long-read metagenomics below for full-length amplicon or shotgun workflows.

Quantitative PCR & Genotyping platform

qPCR, digital PCR & genotyping samples

Covers the Quantitative PCR & Genotyping platform — qPCR, digital PCR (dPCR), SNP/CNV genotyping and pathogen-detection assays. Sample prep is lighter than full sequencing, and turnaround is fast.

Typical inputs. Genomic DNA or cDNA at 1–50 ng per reaction, depending on target abundance and assay design — exact input is confirmed once your target and platform (qPCR vs. dPCR) are scoped. SNP genotyping and pathogen-detection assays generally follow the same DNA quality bar as our sequencing services (OD260/280 close to 1.8–2.0, no degradation). For RT-qPCR from RNA, use the same RNA quality thresholds as RNA sequencing (A260/280 ≥ 1.8, RIN ≥ 6 where applicable).

For SSR genotyping and HLA typing sample amounts, see the DNA sequencing table above — those assays share the same submission format.

Transcriptomics platform

RNA sequencing service sample requirements

RNA can be submitted in RNase-free water, RNA stabilization reagent, or 10mM Tris pH 8.0. Total RNA should be DNA-free, with A260/A280 ≥ 1.8, A260/A230 ≥ 1.8 and RIN ≥ 6. Ship on dry ice. These requirements apply to our Transcriptomics platform (bulk RNA-seq and RT-qPCR validation).

Concentration note. Values below assume fluorometry. Using spectrophotometry instead (e.g. Nanodrop)? Increase concentrations by roughly 2×.

RNA sequencing services12 services · view full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity	Minimum quantity	Minimum concentration
Whole Transcriptome Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 3 µg	1 µg	20 ng/µL
Low-Input RNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 20 ng	20 pg	1 pg/µL
mRNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 500 ng	200 ng	20 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 1×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 50 mg	10 mg	—
Total RNA / LncRNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 2 µg	500 ng	50 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 2×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 500 mg	100 mg	—
CircRNA Sequencing (linear RNA digestion)	Total RNA	≥ 5 µg	2 µg	50 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 2×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 500 mg	100 mg	—
Metatranscriptome	Total RNA	≥ 4 µg	3 µg	50 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 5×10⁶	—	—
	Environmental samples	≥ 1.5 g	—	—
Bacterial RNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 1 µg	—	—
Bacterial RNA Sequencing	Cells	≥ 1×10⁷	—	—
TCR-seq	Total RNA	≥ 100 ng	—	10 ng/µL
Ribo-seq	Cells	≥ 5×10⁶–10⁷	—	—
Ribo-seq	Tissue	≥ 400 mg	200 mg	—
Dual RNA-seq	Total RNA	≥ 1 µg	200 ng	10 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 5×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 500 mg	100 mg	—
Exosomal RNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 100 ng	—	20 ng/µL
	Cell supernatants	≥ 15 mL	—	—
	Serum, plasma	≥ 1 mL	—	—

Exosomal RNA Sequencing above covers cargo analysis on our Exosomes & EVs platform. EV isolation and characterization (NTA, Western blot) use the same starting biofluid volumes — confirm exact volume with us if you need isolation only, without RNA-seq.

Long-read sequencing

PacBio & Nanopore requirements

Long-read platforms have higher input requirements than short-read Illumina services — plan for a larger extraction volume if this is your target platform.

Long-read DNA sequencingview full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity	Minimum quantity	Minimum concentration
Whole Genome Sequencing (PacBio)	Genomic DNA	≥ 3 µg	—	80 ng/µL
Whole Genome Sequencing (Nanopore)	Genomic DNA	≥ 5 µg	—	20 ng/µL
Plasmid Sequencing (Nanopore)	Genomic DNA	≥ 1 µg	500 ng	10 ng/µL
Full-Length 16S/18S/ITS Amplicon Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 500 ng	—	10 ng/µL
	Tissue	1–3 g	1 g	—
	Thallus	5 g	3 g	—
	Interstitial fluid	3–5 mL	1 mL	—
	Environmental samples / water filter membrane	3–5 g / 3 membranes	1 g	—
Long-Read Metagenomic Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 2 µg	—	30 ng/µL
	Tissue	2 g	1 g	—
	Interstitial fluid, sediment	6–10 mL, 2 g	2 mL, sediment	—
	Environmental samples / water filter membrane	6 g / 6 membranes	2 g / 2 membranes	—

Long-read RNA sequencing — RIN ≥ 8 requiredview full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity
Nanopore Full-Length Transcripts Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 2 µg
Nanopore Direct RNA Sequencing	Total RNA	≥ 15 µg

Genomics platform

Epigenomics sequencing requirements

ATAC-seq, methylation and bisulfite sequencing are delivered through our Genomics platform alongside standard DNA sequencing.

Epigenomics sample requirementsview full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity	Minimum quantity	Minimum concentration
ATAC-seq	Cells	≥ 1×10⁶	5×10⁴	—
ATAC-seq	Tissue	≥ 500 mg	200 mg	—
MeDIP-seq / hMeDIP-seq	Genomic DNA	≥ 2 µg	1 µg	20 ng/µL
WGBS (Whole Genome Bisulfite Sequencing)	Genomic DNA	≥ 1 µg	200 ng	10 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 1×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 50 mg	—	—
RRBS (Reduced Representation Bisulfite Sequencing)	Genomic DNA	≥ 1 µg	20 ng	20 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 5×10⁶	3×10³	—
	Tissue	≥ 30 mg	—	—
Targeted Bisulfite Sequencing	Genomic DNA	≥ 500 ng	50 ng	10 ng/µL
	Cells	≥ 1×10⁶	—	—
	Tissue	≥ 20 mg	—	—

Transcriptomics & Genomics platforms

Single-cell sequencing & spatiotemporal genomics

ScRNA-seq and 10X Visium run on our Transcriptomics platform; scATAC-seq and single-cell genome sequencing run on our Genomics platform.

Single-cell & spatial genomics requirementsview full table +

Service	Sample type	Recommended quantity & quality	Minimum quantity & quality
ScRNA-seq	Single cell suspension, fresh tissue	2×10⁶ cells	1×10⁶ cells
SnRNA-seq	Snap-frozen tissue	≥ 100 mg — please contact us for details
10X Visium Spatial Transcriptome	OCT-embedded tissue, FFPE	6.5 mm × 6.5 mm section
scATAC-seq	Single-cell nuclei suspension	1×10⁶ · nuclei <40 µm, intact membrane, >95% intact proportion	5×10⁵
	Single-cell suspension	≥1×10⁶ · viability >80%, 700–1200 cells/µL	5×10⁵
	Fresh tissue	200 mg	—
	Whole blood (EDTA)	≥ 5 mL	—
Single Cell Genome Sequencing	Cells	1–10³ · stored in 1× PBS (no Ca²⁺/Mg²⁺), ≤2 µL volume	—
Single Cell Genome Sequencing	DNA	—	≥ 0.5 pg
ScRRBS	Cell lines, primary cells, fresh tissue, frozen cells	200 µL PCR tubes, 5 µL lysate/tube, ≤1 µL buffer when collecting cells · ≥3 biological replicates

Proteomics platform

Protein & proteomics samples

Our Proteomics platform covers in-house Western blot and biomarker panels, plus mass-spectrometry proteomics delivered through our specialized partner network.

Typical inputs. Western blot / biomarker panels: 10–30 µg of total protein lysate per lane is a common starting point, though this varies by target abundance and antibody sensitivity. Mass-spectrometry proteomics input (depth-dependent — from targeted panels to deep shotgun profiling) is confirmed directly with our partner lab once your project is scoped. For any protein workflow, keep samples cold (4 °C short-term) or snap-frozen at −80 °C, and avoid repeated freeze/thaw of lysates.

Not sure how much sample you have vs. need? Tell us your sample type and we'll confirm the exact input before you ship anything.

General guidance

Suggested quantities by sample type

A quick reference if you're not yet sure which service you need — for exact requirements, match your target service against the tables above.

Cell

Qty: 1×10⁶ cells
Ship: Dry ice

Fresh frozen tissue

Qty: 10 mg
Ship: Dry ice

FFPE

Qty: ≥4 slides, 5–20 µm, >150 mm²
Ship: Room temp / blue ice

Viral particles

Qty: 5×10⁹
Ship: Dry ice

Stool

Qty: 100 mg
Ship: Dry ice

Swabs

Qty: 2 tubes/sample, 1 swab/tube
Ship: Room temperature

Saliva

Qty: 1 mL
Ship: Dry ice / blue ice

Soil

Qty: 100 mg
Ship: Room temp / blue ice

Water

Qty: 50 mL
Ship: Room temp / blue ice

Plasma / serum

Qty: 10 mL
Ship: Dry ice

Whole blood — fresh (EDTA)

Qty: 2 mL
Ship: Blue ice

Whole blood — frozen (EDTA)

Qty: 4 mL
Ship: Dry ice

Whole blood — PAXgene, frozen

Qty: 2.5 mL
Ship: Dry ice

Whole blood — Tempus RNA tube

Qty: 3 mL
Ship: Dry ice

Bodily fluids — gDNA

Qty: 500 µL
Ship: Blue ice

Bodily fluids — cell-free DNA

Qty: 500–10,000 µL
Ship: Dry ice

Step by step

Sampling protocols by sample type

Detailed collection and preservation steps for the most common sample types. Not sure which applies to you, or working with something not listed? Ask us — we routinely advise on sample prep before a project starts.

Adherent cells

Check cells under the microscope for good growth condition (normal confluence is around 80%).
Remove the culture medium and wash quickly, twice, with pre-cooled PBS buffer.
Place the dish on ice, add pre-cooled PBS, and scrape cells with a clean cell scraper, tilting the dish so buffer flows to one side. Pipette into a pre-cooled centrifuge tube and centrifuge at 500–600 g, then discard the supernatant.
Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen and store at −80 °C.

Cell suspension

Gently resuspend cells from the culture bottle/dish with a pipette and transfer to a 15 mL centrifuge tube.
Centrifuge at 400–1000 g, 4 °C, for 5–10 minutes. Discard the supernatant.
Wash the pellet twice with pre-cooled PBS, keep on ice, discard the supernatant.
Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen and store at −80 °C.

Animal tissue

Immediately after isolation, remove connective and adipose tissue not needed for the study. Cut large samples into small pieces (≤0.5 cm per side).
Rinse quickly with pre-cooled saline or PBS, dry with dust-free paper, and place in a 1.5–2 mL centrifuge tube.
Snap-freeze and store at −80 °C. Divide large samples into aliquots.

Plant & fungal tissue

Wash fresh samples immediately with DEPC water and dry with dust-free paper.
Cut into 1–2 cm or 50–100 mg pieces and place in 2, 15 or 50 mL tubes.
Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen and store at −80 °C.

Bacterial samples

Collect bacterial liquid into a 50 mL centrifuge tube, spin at 3000–5000 g / 10 min at 4 °C to pellet bacteria, and remove as much culture medium as possible.
Wash twice with 5–10 mL sterile water or PBS, transfer to a 1.5–2.0 mL tube, spin at 1500 rpm / 10 min at 4 °C, discard the supernatant and keep the pellet.
Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen and store at −80 °C.

Whole blood

Collect into a suitable medium (e.g. QIAGEN PAXgene) following the manufacturer's instructions — >500 µL per tube, 2 tubes per sample.
Fresh samples: store and ship refrigerated with a wet/blue ice package.
Frozen samples: ship overnight, frozen, packed with protective bubble padding, dry ice surrounding all sides.
For PAXgene RNA tubes, collect >2.5 mL blood (expected yield ≈ >3 µg RNA).

Plasma

Draw 10 mL total blood into 5 mL EDTA (purple-top) vessels. Mix gently — whole blood can hold at 4 °C for up to 1 h before processing.
Centrifuge at 1900 g, 4 °C, 10 min with a bucket-type rotor. Carefully aspirate plasma, discarding the final 500 µL near the interface.
Re-centrifuge the plasma at 3000 g, 4 °C, 15 min, avoiding the sediment.
Sub-package into EP tubes and freeze at −80 °C — avoid repeated freeze/thaw cycles.

Serum

Collect 10 mL blood into a plain serum tube (no anticoagulant).
Let stand 30 min at room temperature, then 3–4 h at 4 °C until clotted.
Aspirate the pale-yellow serum (~4 mL) into a 15 mL tube and centrifuge at 3000 g, 4 °C, 15 min. Transfer the supernatant to a fresh tube.
Freeze at −80 °C within 15 minutes of centrifugation to avoid repeated freeze/thaw.

PBMC

Collect at least 7.5 mL of blood for isolation.
Resuspend PBMCs in RPMI 1640 + 10% FBS, adjusting concentration to 1×10⁶–1×10⁷ cells/mL.
Centrifuge 10–15 min at 350 × g and discard the supernatant.
Snap-freeze the pellet in liquid nitrogen and store at −80 °C. Pellets need at least 10⁶ cells and should ship on dry ice.

FFPE (formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded)

Approximately 80 mg of tissue is needed per sample.
Clean the tissue with PBS or saline, then fully immerse in formaldehyde fixative within 30 minutes of sampling. Seal the container with sealing film.
Fix fresh tissue for no more than 24 h (or per pretreatment kit instructions). FFPE blocks/slides can be shipped at room temperature.

Water body / filter membrane

Sample at least 1–2 L of water (slightly turbid water is fine).
Transport at low temperature throughout.
Select filter membrane pore size according to your research target.
After liquid-nitrogen freezing, place in a sterile, RNase-free tube and ship on dry ice.

Urine

Collect in a 15 or 50 mL tube, spin at 300 g, 4 °C, 10 min, and transfer the supernatant to a clean tube without disturbing the sediment.
Spin again at 3000 g, 4 °C, 15 min to remove cells/fragments. Freeze the supernatant at −80 °C before delivery, avoiding repeated freeze/thaw.

Insects

Use a clean, sterile container or 96-well plate. Rinse briefly with sterile PBS if surface decontamination is needed.
Optionally centrifuge at 300 g, 4 °C, 5 min to remove external debris, then carefully remove insects from any liquid medium.
Snap-freeze in liquid nitrogen or at −80 °C, or preserve in RNAlater® (5–10× preservative-to-sample ratio; 4 °C for 24–48h, then −80 °C for long-term storage).
Avoid repeated freeze/thaw before delivery.

Get your samples ready for success.

The Sample Submission Form

Shipping guidelines

DNA sequencing service sample requirements

qPCR, digital PCR & genotyping samples

RNA sequencing service sample requirements

PacBio & Nanopore requirements

Epigenomics sequencing requirements

Single-cell sequencing & spatiotemporal genomics

Protein & proteomics samples

Suggested quantities by sample type

Cell

Fresh frozen tissue

FFPE

Viral particles

Stool

Swabs

Saliva

Soil

Water

Plasma / serum

Whole blood — fresh (EDTA)

Whole blood — frozen (EDTA)

Whole blood — PAXgene, frozen

Whole blood — Tempus RNA tube

Bodily fluids — gDNA

Bodily fluids — cell-free DNA

Sampling protocols by sample type

Tell us your sample type and biological question — we'll scope the right platform.