![]() However, some serum components are a little less stable in these tubes. They’re mainly used clinically for tests that are needed especially quickly. ![]() These tubes use thrombin to activate blood clotting. Compared to thrombin-based tubes, it takes longer for blood to clot in silica-based tubes.Ĭlotting time: Approximately 30 minutes. Becton Dickinson tubes are commonly gold but also red, while Greiner Bio-One tubes are red. Note that their color usually depends on their brand. Those without the separating gel are usually more useful in sensitive diagnostic testing. Some also have a gel to separate the serum-if you’re looking for a protein that isn’t involved in coagulation, these are probably the tubes for you. These tubes have silica nanoparticles, which activate clotting by activating coagulation factor XII. There are two main types of serum collection tubes that differ in how they activate blood clotting, using different clot activators. Many of these markers can be stored for days in the fridge or frozen down and measured in batches later. Serum Tubesīlood serum is a great (and stable) way of measuring the blood’s proteins, lipids, hormones, electrolytes, etc. Therefore, You need to use either a serum collection tube or a plasma collection tube, respectively. Plasma is the product of blood that has been prevented from clotting with an anticoagulant.Serum is the product of blood that has been allowed to clot.That depends on whether or not you need to stop the blood from clotting.ĭon’t confuse serum with plasma-while they’re both the liquid, cell-free part of the blood you can obtain by centrifugation-they are critically different: The first thing to figure out is whether you want to collect serum or plasma. Thinking about specimen requirements before you get started can save a lot of headaches later!īut what if your protocol doesn’t specify, or you’re adapting a method from another system, or you want to make sure you’re storing the best type of sample for future not-yet-defined analyses? Hopefully, I can help you find your way around all those differently colored tubes.Ī quick note about those cap colors before we begin: I’ve listed them below, and the color-coding system is generally pretty consistent, but I can’t promise the colors are the same in every company producing blood collection tubes, so always check first! Serum vs. The first thing to check is your protocol-for example, some ELISAs will specify the types of samples you can and can’t use with certain tubes. ![]() Whether you’re collecting your samples in-house or through a clinic, hospital, or pathology center, you’ll need to have a good idea of what kind of blood collection tubes suit your purposes. In this short article, we explain different blood collection tube types, including plasma tubes, serum tubes, and anticoagulant tubes, and their key differences. Whether you’re performing blood cultures or isolating normal B cells, you may find yourself needing human blood samples.įor many scientists, getting blood specimens can be intimidating. Maybe you’re studying blood cells using hematology microscopy, or maybe you’re after genetic material or circulating biomarkers. When using plasma tubes, check that the anticoagulant is compatible with your downstream experiments. Plasma is the product of blood that has been prevented from clotting with an anticoagulant, while serum tubes contain silica nanoparticles or thrombin to induce clotting. Serum is the product of blood that has been allowed to clot. Choosing blood collection tubes mainly depends on whether you want to collect serum or plasma. ![]()
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