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Sample Submission Guideline for Metabolomics, Proteomics, Transcriptomics , and Microbiome

Sample Requirements List:

Biomedical Sample Requirements for Metabolomics
Plant Sample Requirements for Metabolomics
Sample Requirements for Proteomics
Sample Requirements for Transcriptomics
Sample Requirements for Microbiome
Sampling Guideline
Shipping Guideline

Biomedical Sample Requirements for Metabolomics

Biological duplicates:A minimum of 3 replicates is required; 3-6 replicates for animal samples; 6-10 for clinical samples.

Metabolomics: Biomedical Sample Classification

Sample Class	Sample Type
Liquid I	Plasma, Serum, Hemolymph, Whole Blood, Milk, Egg White
Liquid II	Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial Fluid (TIF), Uterine Fluid, Pancreatic Juice, Bile, Pleural Effusion, Follicular Fluid, Postmortem Fluid, Tissue Fluid, Culture Medium (liquid), Culture Supernatant, Tears, Aqueous Humor, Digestive Juices, Bone Marrow (liquid)
Liquid Ⅲ	Seminal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Fluid, Rumen Fluid, Respiratory Condensate, Gastric Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF), Urine, Sweat, Saliva, Sputum
Tissue I	Small Animal Tissues, Placenta, Blood Clot, Mycelium, Nematode, Zebrafish (whole fish), Bone Marrow (solid), Nail
Tissue II	Large Animal Tissues, Whole Insect Body, Wings (of insects), Pupa, Eggs, Large Fungi (mushroom types), Large Algae (red algae), Large Amount of Mycelium/Mycelial Balls, Cartilage, Bone (solid)
Tissue Ⅲ	Zebrafish Organs, Insect Organs, Whole Microinsect Body (e.g., Drosophila)
Solid I	Feces, Intestinal Contents, Lyophilized Fecal Powder
Solid II	Milk Powder, Microbial Fermentation Product (solid), Culture Medium (solid), Earwax, Lyophilized Tissue Powder, Feed, Egg Yolk, Lyophilized Plant Powder, Lyophilized Egg Powder
Solid Ⅲ	Honey, Nasal Mucus, Sputum
Solid Ⅳ	Sludge, Soil
Cell I	Adherent Cells, Animal Cell Lines
Cell II	E. Coli, Yeast Cells
Cell Ⅲ	Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial Balls/Mycelium, Unicellular Algae (Cyanobacteria), Large Quantities of Bacterial Hyphae (sediment), Mucilaginous Protoplasmic Clusters (hyphae)
Organelle I	Lysosomes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum
Organelle II	Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles
Special Sample I	Skin Tape or Patch
Special Sample II	Test Strips
Special Sample Ⅲ	Swab

Metabolomics: Biomedical Sample Requirements

Sample Class	Recommended sample size	Minimum sample size	Untargeted (Plus) metabolomics/ TM widely targeted metabolomics / Quantitative Lipidomics			Bile Acids	Energy Metabolism/ Amino Acids/ Tryptophan			Steroid Hormones	Short-Chain Fatty Acids
Liquid I	100 μl	20 μl	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	50 μl-100 μl
Liquid II	100 μl	20μl	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	50 μl-100 μl
Liquid Ⅲ	500 μl	100 μl	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Tissue I	100 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Tissue II	500 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	50 mg - 500 mg
Tissue Ⅲ	20 units	10 units	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Solid I	200 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Solid II	100 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Solid Ⅲ	100 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	500 mg - 2 g
Solid Ⅳ	600 mg	300 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Cell I	1*10^7	1*10^6	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Cell II	1*10^10	5*10^8	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Cell Ⅲ	100 mg	20 mg	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Organelle I	4×10^7 cells	1×10^7 cells	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Organelle II	2×10^9 particles	1×10^9 particles	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Special Sample I	2 pieces	1 piece	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Special Sample II	2 pieces	1 piece	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√
Special Sample Ⅲ	1 piece	1 piece	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√	√

Plant Sample Requirements for Metabolomics

( Plant duplicates:A minimum of 3 replicates is required. )

Metabolomics Plant Sample Classification

Sample Class	Sample Type
Tissue I	Root, Stem, Leaf, Fruit, Flower, Bud, Node, Callus
Tissue II	Fruit Peel, Seed Coat
Tissue Ⅲ	Anther, Filament, Pollen, Style, Stigma, Embryo
Liquid I	Root Exudate
Liquid II	Juice, Wine, Fermentation Broth
Liquid Ⅲ	Oils, Essential Oils, Honey, Nectar, Paste
Liquid Ⅳ	Herb Extract, Herb Decoction, Plant Tissue Fluid
Cell I	Cultured Plant Cell
Cell II	Algae
Solid I	Lyophilized Plant Powder
Solid II	Sludge, Soil

Metabolomics Plant Sample Requirements

Sample Class

Recommended sample size

Minimum sample size

Widely Targeted Metabolomics

Quantitative Lipidomics

Flavonoid

Carotenoid

Anthocyanin

Energy Metabolism/ Amino Acids/ Short-Chain Fatty Acids

Plant Hormones/ Gibberellin

Tissue I

600 mg

300 mg

√

200 mg - 300 mg

Tissue II

600 mg

300 mg

√

Tissue Ⅲ

1.2 g

600 mg

√

Liquid I

10 ml

3 ml

√

1 ml - 2 ml

√

100 μl - 500 μl

100 μl - 200 μl

Liquid II

5 ml

3 ml

√

Liquid Ⅲ

500 μl

200 μl

√

Liquid Ⅳ

500 μl

200 μl

√

Cell I

1x10^7

1x10^6

√

Cell II

300 mg

200 mg

√

20 mg – 100 mg

√

Solid I

200 mg

√

20 mg – 100 mg

Solid II

600 mg

300 mg

√

Sample Requirements for Proteomics

Sample Class	Sample Type	DIA / DDA Quantitative Proteomics		Phospho-Proteomics
Sample Class	Sample Type	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum
Animal Tissue	Normal tissues (heart, liver, spleen, lungs, intestines, kidneys, etc.)	50 mg	5 mg	50 mg	30 mg
	Fatty tissue	200 mg	100 mg	1 g	500 mg
	Brain tissue	50 mg	5 mg	100 mg	50 mg
	Bone	1 g	200 mg	1 g	500 mg
	Hair	500 mg	200 mg	1 g	500 mg
	Skin	200 mg	100 mg	/	/
Plant Tissue	Young tissue (young leaf, seedling, petal, etc.)	200 mg	100 mg	500 mg	200 mg
	Mature tissue (root, stem, fruit, pericarp, etc.)	1 g	500 mg	2 g	1.5 g
	Pollen	40 mg	15 mg	/	/
Cells	Primary Cells	3×10^6	1×10^6	2×10^7	1×10^7
	Transmissible cells	2×10^6	1×10^6	1×10^7	5×10^6
	Sperm, Platelets	2×10^7	1×10^7	5×10^7	2×10^7
Protein	Protein	100 μg	30 μg	1000 μg	500 μg
Liquid Samples	Serum/Plasma	20 μl	5 μl	/	/
	Serum/Plasma (low-abundant proteins enrichment)	200 μl	100 μl	/	/
	Joint fluid, Lymph fluid, Cerebrospinal fluid	200 μl	100 μl	1 ml	500 μl
	Aqueous humor, Vitreous body	300 μl	200 μl	/	/
	Ascites, Follicular fluid	100 μl	50 μl	/	/
	Alveolar lavage fluid (BALF)	1 ml	500 μl	/	/
	Amniotic fluid	1 ml	500 μl	5 ml	2 ml
	Milk	20 μl	5 μl	/	/
	Urine	10 ml	5 ml	50 ml	20 ml
	Saliva (mammals)	1 ml	500 μl	/	/
	Fermentation broth, Bacterial solution	10 ml	5 ml	/	/
	Cellular supernatant	25 ml	10 ml	/	/
Microorganisms	Bacteria	200 mg	100 mg	/	/
Microorganisms	Fungi	300 mg	150 mg	1 g	500 mg

Sample Requirements for Transcriptomics

Sample Class	Sample Type	Recommended sample size	Minimum sample size
Tissue Samples	Plant tissues with high nucleotide yields: fresh and young leaves, flowers, stems, stamens, anthers and young seeds of common species.	300 mg	50 mg
	Plant tissues with low nucleotide yields: roots, stems, fruits, pericarp, mature seeds, etc.; Tissues with high waxing, lignification, secondary metabolite content, etc.	300 mg	100 mg
	Animal/Human tissues with high nucleotide yields: internal tissues such as liver, spleen, thymus, heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, etc.	200 mg	20 mg
	Animal/Human tissues with low nucleotide yields: skin, bone, fat, etc.	200 mg	100 mg
Liquid Samples	Freshly collected whole blood	5 ml	1 ml
Liquid Samples	Semi-solid bacteria	0.5 ml	/
Cells	Fresh cultured cells	5×10^6 cells	1×10^6 cells
Cells	Fungus	5×10^6 cells or 300 mg	1×10^6 cells
RNA	Total RNA	Concentration ≥50 ng/μl; Total Amount ≥2 μg; Volume ≥15 μl

Sample Requirements for Microbiome

Sample Class	Sample Type	16S Sequencing		Metagenome Sequencing
Sample Class	Sample Type	Recommended	Minimum	Recommended	Minimum
Solid sample	Feces, Intestinal Contents	2 g	500 mg	2 g	500 mg
	Swab	10 pieces	4 pieces	10 pieces	4 pieces
	Tissue	1 g	500 mg	1 g	500 mg
	Water Body Filter Membrane (pore size 0.22-0.45 μm, diameter 3-4 cm)	2 pieces	1 pieces	3 pieces	1 pieces
	Soil, Sludge, Sediment, Humus	3 g	0.5 g	3 g	1 g
Liquid sample	Rumen Fluid, Fermentation Broth, Tissue Fluid (with noticeable precipitate after centrifugation)	3 ml, precipitate 1 g	1 ml, precipitate 0.5 g	3-5 ml, precipitate 1 g	1 ml, precipitate 0.5 g
	Saliva	5 ml	3 ml	7 ml	5 ml
	Serum, plasma	3 ml	1 ml	5 ml	3 ml
	DNA	Concentration ≥10 ng/μl, Total Amount ≥150 ng, OD260/280 = 1.8-2.0, DNA must have a distinct main band, no degradation, and be free from RNA, proteins, and other impurities.		Concentration ≥80 ng/μl, Total Amount ≥10 μg, OD260/280 = 1.8-2.0, DNA must have a distinct main band, no degradation, and be free from RNA, proteins, and other impurities.

If your samples are not listed above, contact us please!

Sampling Guideline

Representative Sample	Sampling Method
Serum	Collect whole blood samples using serum separation tubes containing a clot activator. Allow the samples to clot at room temperature for 60 minutes (note: do not shake the tubes). Centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes at 4°C, then aliquot 200 μl of the supernatant (serum) into pre-labeled 2 ml centrifuge tubes. Snap freeze the samples in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store them at -80°C.
Plasma	Collect whole blood samples using blood collection tubes containing an anticoagulant (EDTA or heparin sodium). Gently invert the tubes to mix immediately. Centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 minutes at 4°C, then aliquot 200 μl of the supernatant (plasma) into pre-labeled 2 ml centrifuge tubes. Snap freeze the samples in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store them at -80°C. (Note: heparin sodium anticoagulant should not be used for microbiome studies.)
Animal Tissues	Euthanize the animal and dissect it using sterile surgical instruments to quickly collect the desired tissue. Rinse the tissue with pre-cooled saline to remove blood, and use forceps to remove connective tissue and hair. Rinse again with pre-cooled saline. Cut the tissue into small pieces using a scalpel or surgical scissors and place them in pre-labeled sterile cryogenic vials. Snap freeze the samples in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store them at -80°C. (For transcriptome studies, rinse with RNase-free water.)
Suspended Cells	Measure the concentration of the cell culture. Transfer a cell suspension containing 1*10^7 cells into a 2 ml centrifuge tube. Centrifuge at 1000g for 10 minutes at 4°C, and discard the supernatant. Quickly wash the cell pellet with pre-cooled PBS (4°C) 2-3 times, each time centrifuging at 1000g for 10 minutes at 4°C and discarding the supernatant. Collect the cell pellet, snap freeze it in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store it at -80°C.
Adherent Cells	Remove the culture medium and quickly wash the cells 2-3 times with pre-cooled PBS solution. Add an appropriate amount of pre-cooled PBS solution to the culture flask and gently scrape the cells off the flask wall into the PBS solution using a cell scraper. Transfer the mixture to an appropriate centrifuge tube and centrifuge at 300g-500g for 5 minutes at 4°C. Discard the supernatant and wash the cell pellet again with pre-cooled PBS solution. Centrifuge at 1000g for 5 minutes at 4°C and discard the supernatant. Resuspend the cell pellet in pre-cooled PBS solution and measure the cell suspension concentration. Transfer a cell suspension containing 10^7 cells into a 2 mL sterile centrifuge tube, centrifuge at 1000g for 10 minutes at 4°C, and discard the supernatant. Collect the cell pellet, snap freeze it in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store it at -80°C.
Microorganisms	Measure the concentration of the microbial culture. Transfer the culture containing the required amount of microorganisms into an appropriate centrifuge tube. Centrifuge at 4000 rpm for 10 minutes at 4°C, and discard the supernatant. Wash the pellet twice with pre-cooled PBS (4°C), each time centrifuging at 1000 rpm for 10 minutes at 4°C and discarding the supernatant. Collect the microbial pellet, snap freeze it in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store it at -80°C. (For bacteria, it is recommended to sample during the logarithmic growth phase.)
Plant Tissues	Collect the desired tissues from at least 3 plants within one biological replicate from the same corresponding positions (e.g., same light exposure direction) and mix them as one sample. For roots, rinse them under running water to remove soil and impurities, wash them 1-2 times with PBS/RNase-free water, and dry the surface with absorbent paper. If the tissues are too large, freeze them in liquid nitrogen and break them into small pieces. Finally, place the samples in suitable centrifuge tubes (10ml/15ml), snap freeze in liquid nitrogen for 5-10 minutes, and store them at -80°C.

Shipping Guideline

Dry Ice Booking: Book sufficient dry ice to maintain low temperatures for the samples during shipping. Please prepare at least 5 kg of dry ice for each transit day.
Sample Collection: Collect samples in appropriate tubes. Different services require separate tubes. Ensure each tube is clearly labeled, using markers or ink that will not be erased during shipment. Wrap the tube cap with parafilm.
Sample Packaging:. Wrap the tubes containing samples in absorbent paper towels and place them in separate sealed plastic bags. Wrap each bag in bubble wrap
Sample Information Form (SIF): Print and complete the SIF. The labels on the tubes must match the labels on the SIF. Place the completed form in a sealed plastic bag and include it in the shipment container.
Box Preparation: Place the sample tubes and SIF in a polystyrene box with sufficient dry ice. Fill any empty space within the box with bubble wrap or packing material to ensure materials do not move during shipping.
External Packaging: Place the polystyrene box into a slightly larger cardboard box and seal it with packing tape. Ensure that a Dry Ice label is affixed to the outside of the shipment.
Shipping Service: Ship the package using a Next-Day delivery service.
Notification: Email the completed SIF, purchase order (PO) or signed quote, and tracking number to support-global@metwarebio.com.
Shipping Address:

Attn: Rui He

8A Henshaw Street, Woburn, MA 01801, USA

(781) 975-1541

Support-global@metwarebio.com
Delivery Timing: Please plan your shipping day accordingly to ensure the samples will arrive between Monday to Friday.

Note: Unless otherwise specified, clients are responsible for all shipping charges.

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