Biobank protocol
Saliva collection
Receiving and heat-inactivating mailed saliva samples for DNA extraction. Last updated 11 October 2023.
Receiving saliva samples
Saliva samples may be received for DNA extraction. Packages containing saliva samples will only be received via mail and will be labelled “exempt human specimen”. Saliva heat inactivation may be run once per week or as needed.
Collection kit: Oragene-Discover OGR-500 (uses chemical inactivation).
Contact chenplotkinbiobank[at]pennmedicine.upenn.edu with saliva processing requests and other inquiries.
Procedure
- Wear proper personal protective equipment including gloves, lab coat, safety glasses or goggles, and/or face shield.
- Wipe down all workstation surfaces, including the areas inside and outside of the bench enclosure, with 70% ethanol.
- Inside the enclosure on the biobanking bench, remove the secondary container from the outer packaging, then place the secondary package into the hybridization oven. Throw the outer packaging into the dedicated trash.
- Run heat inactivation of all saliva samples at 65°C for one hour.
- Label the samples “heat-inactivated” using red dot stickers, create an INDD saliva entry for them, and leave them in the “Biofluid Samples for DNA” box in the cold room, Johnson 148, to be picked up by the DNA extraction team. Email the DNA extraction team the INDD of the heat-inactivated samples.
- If paperwork is mailed in together with the saliva samples, place the paperwork inside the DNA bin after heat-inactivating the samples.
- Finish by again wiping down all workstation areas, including the mail receptacle, with 70% ethanol.