RNAprotect Tissue Reagent (250 ml)

This RNA stabilization reagent from QIAGEN is designed to preserve RNA integrity within cells and tissue samples immediately upon collection, helping to prevent degradation by ubiquitous RNases. Submerging samples in the reagent stabilizes RNA and supports accurate downstream gene expression analyses.

According to a QIAGEN application note, optimal conditions for recovery of cultured cells include incubation at 22 °C, followed by centrifugation at 5000 x g or 2500 x g for 5 or 10 minutes depending on cell type. The study reported that high-quality RNA could be isolated from stabilized cells without loss in yield or integrity compared with samples snap frozen directly after harvesting. RIN values for samples prepared from 1 x 10^6 cells averaged 9.2, and all RNA samples achieving a RIN value above 8.9 were considered high-quality RNA.

The reagent offers a practical alternative to inconvenient and equipment-intensive preservation methods such as snap-freezing in liquid nitrogen, storage at ultralow temperatures, cutting and weighing on dry ice, or immediate processing of harvested samples.