Whole blood samples can undergo substantial changes while awaiting processing. During this time, hemolysis, platelet activation, and blood cell degradation may alter sample integrity and affect downstream analysis. These challenges become more complex in multi-analyte studies because different blood cell populations interfere with cfDNA, cfRNA, protein, and extracellular vesicle measurements in varying ways.
As molecular testing moves toward a multi-analyte approach, sample collection and storage must support a broader range of measurements from the same blood draw. When immediate processing is not possible, collection and storage approaches need to limit ex vivo changes and preserve the analyte profile until plasma separation. This application note compares blood collection conditions during ambient-temperature storage and examines their effects on plasma integrity and analyte stability.
Download this application note to examine:
- The shift from single- to multi-analyte testing workflows
- How ambient-temperature storage affects nucleic acid, protein, and extracellular vesicle measurements
- The role of blood collection tubes in preserving sample integrity