FAQ

Can I use my own plates to send in my leaf tissue samples?

LGC produce a ‘DNA extraction leaf tissue collection kit’ (KBS-9370-110) that includes a 6 mm leaf punch, a leaf punching mat, the required number of 96-well sample plates with perforated strip lids, and a transport box. If you prefer to use your own plates to send in leaf tissue samples for DNA extraction, this is not a problem. You will need to use polypropylene deep-well 1.2 ml plates that are compatible with all of our laboratory procedures. We recommend that you send in an additional empty plate (either in advance of your samples or alongside your sample plates) as this can be used to test that the plate type is sufficiently robust to withstand our laboratory procedures without risk to your samples.

The leaf tissue discs must be dried, ideally by lyophilisation, prior to sealing of the plate to prevent samples from deteriorating during transit. Following addition of the dried tissue samples to the plate, ensure that each well is sealed to prevent contamination of the wells and to avoid samples moving location during transit. Please do not place silica pellets directly in the wells of the plate as these will have to be manually removed prior to performing DNA extraction and will therefore incur an additional charge.