Biomedical Sample Requirements for Metabolomics

Sample Amount Requirements

Sample Class Recommended sample size Minimum sample size
Plasma, Serum, Hemolymph, Whole Blood, Milk, Egg White 100 μl 20 μl
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial Fluid (TIF), Uterine Fluid, Pancreatic Juice, Bile, Pleural Effusion, Follicular Fluid, Fallopian Tube Fluid, Postmortem Fluid, Tissue Fluid, Culture Medium (liquid), Culture Supernatant, Fermentation Broth, Tears, Aqueous Humor, Digestive Juices, Bone Marrow (liquid) 100 μl 20 μl
Seminal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Fluid, Rumen Fluid, Respiratory Condensate, Gastric Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF), Urine, Sweat, Saliva, Sputum 500 μl 50 μl
Small Animal Tissues, Placenta, Blood Clot, Mycelium, Nematode, Zebrafish (whole fish), Bone Marrow (solid), Nail 100 mg 20 mg
Large Animal Tissues, Whole Insect Body, Wings (of insects), Pupa, Eggs, Large Fungi (mushroom types), Large Amount of Fungal Mycelium/Mycelial Balls, Cartilage, Bone (solid) 500 mg 20 mg
Zebrafish Organs, Insect Organs, Whole Microinsect Body (e.g., Drosophila) 20 units /
Feces, Intestinal Contents, Lyophilized Fecal Powder 200 mg 20 mg
Milk Powder, Microbial Fermentation Product (solid), Culture Medium (solid), Earwax, Lyophilized Tissue Powder, Feed, Egg Yolk Powder, Lyophilized Plant Powder, Lyophilized Egg Powder 100 mg 20 mg
Honey, Nasal Mucus, Sputum, Fresh Egg Yolk 100 mg 20 mg
Sludge, Soil 600 mg 300 mg
Adherent Cells, Animal Cell Lines 1×10⁶ 5×10⁵
E. Coli, Yeast Cells 1×10¹⁰ 5×10⁸
Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial Balls/Mycelium, Cyanobacteria, Large Amount of Bacteria (Pellet), Slime Mold, Microbial Sludge, Dried Microbial Powder 100 mg /
Lysosomes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum 4×10⁷ cells / 0.2 g tissue 1×10⁷ cells / 0.1 g tissue
Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles 2×10⁹ particles / 40 μg protein (BCA) 1×10⁹ particles / 20 μg protein (BCA)
Skin Tape or Patch, Test Strips 2 pieces 1 piece
Swab 1 piece 1 piece
Hair human: 50 strands
mouse: 200 strands		 human: 20 strands
mouse: 100 strands

Common sample examples:

  • Serum / Plasma: 100 μL recommended, 20 μL minimum
  • Urine / Saliva: 500 μL recommended, 50 μL minimum
  • Animal tissue: 100–500 mg recommended, 20 mg minimum
  • Feces / intestinal contents: 200 mg recommended, 20 mg minimum
  • Cells: 1 × 106 recommended, 5 × 105minimum
Sample Class Recommended sample size Minimum sample size
Plasma, Serum, Hemolymph, Whole Blood, Milk, Egg White 100 μl 20 μl
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial Fluid (TIF), Uterine Fluid, Pancreatic Juice, Bile, Pleural Effusion, Follicular Fluid, Fallopian Tube Fluid, Postmortem Fluid, Tissue Fluid, Culture Medium (liquid), Culture Supernatant, Fermentation Broth, Tears, Aqueous Humor, Digestive Juices, Bone Marrow (liquid) 100 μl 50 μl
Seminal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Fluid, Rumen Fluid, Respiratory Condensate, Gastric Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF), Urine, Sweat, Saliva, Sputum 500 μl 50 μl
Small Animal Tissues, Placenta, Blood Clot, Mycelium, Nematode, Zebrafish (whole fish), Bone Marrow (solid), Nail 100 mg 50 mg
Large Animal Tissues, Whole Insect Body, Wings (of insects), Pupa, Eggs, Large Fungi (mushroom types), Large Amount of Fungal Mycelium/Mycelial Balls, Cartilage, Bone (solid) 100 mg 50 mg
Zebrafish Organs, Insect Organs, Whole Microinsect Body (e.g., Drosophila) 20 units /
Feces, Intestinal Contents, Lyophilized Fecal Powder 200 mg 50 mg
Milk Powder, Microbial Fermentation Product (solid), Culture Medium (solid), Earwax, Lyophilized Tissue Powder, Feed, Egg Yolk Powder, Lyophilized Plant Powder, Lyophilized Egg Powder 100 mg 50 mg
Honey, Nasal Mucus, Sputum, Fresh Egg Yolk 2 g 500 mg
Sludge, Soil 600 mg 300 mg
Adherent Cells, Animal Cell Lines 1×10⁶ 5×10⁵
E. Coli, Yeast Cells 1×10¹⁰ 5×10⁸
Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial Balls/Mycelium, Cyanobacteria, Large Amount of Bacteria (Pellet), Slime Mold, Microbial Sludge, Dried Microbial Powder 100 mg /
Lysosomes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum 4×10⁷ cells / 0.2 g tissue 1×10⁷ cells / 0.1 g tissue
Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles 2×10⁹ particles / 40 μg protein (BCA) 1×10⁹ particles / 20 μg protein (BCA)
Skin Tape or Patch, Test Strips 2 pieces 1 piece
Swab 1 piece 1 piece
Hair human: 50 strands
mouse: 200 strands		 human: 20 strands
mouse: 100 strands
Sample Class Recommended sample size Minimum sample size Bile Acids Neurotransmitters Steroid Hormones Oxylipins SCFAs FFAs Sugars
Plasma, Serum, Hemolymph, Whole Blood, Milk, Egg White 100 μl 20 μl ✓ ✓ At least 50 μl ✓
Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF), Interstitial Fluid (TIF), Uterine Fluid, Pancreatic Juice, Bile, Pleural Effusion, Follicular Fluid, Fallopian Tube Fluid, Postmortem Fluid, Tissue Fluid, Culture Medium (liquid), Culture Supernatant, Fermentation Broth, Tears, Aqueous Humor, Digestive Juices, Bone Marrow (liquid) 100 μl 20 μl ✓ At least 50 μl At least 100 μL (Culture Supernatant 25 mL concentrated) At least 50 μl ✓
Seminal Plasma, Amniotic Fluid, Prostatic Fluid, Rumen Fluid, Respiratory Condensate, Gastric Lavage Fluid, Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid (BALF), Urine, Sweat, Saliva, Sputum 500 μl 50 μl ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Small Animal Tissues, Placenta, Blood Clot, Mycelium, Nematode, Zebrafish (whole fish), Bone Marrow (solid), Nail 100 mg 20 mg ✓ At least 50 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Large Animal Tissues, Whole Insect Body, Wings (of insects), Pupa, Eggs, Large Fungi (mushroom types), Large Amount of Fungal Mycelium/Mycelial Balls, Cartilage, Bone (solid) 500 mg 20 mg ✓ At least 50 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Zebrafish Organs, Insect Organs, Whole Microinsect Body (e.g., Drosophila) 20 units / ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Feces, Intestinal Contents, Lyophilized Fecal Powder 200 mg 20 mg ✓ At least 50 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Milk Powder, Microbial Fermentation Product (solid), Culture Medium (solid), Earwax, Lyophilized Tissue Powder, Feed, Egg Yolk Powder, Lyophilized Plant Powder, Lyophilized Egg Powder 100 mg 20 mg ✓ At least 50 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Honey, Nasal Mucus, Sputum, Fresh Egg Yolk 2 g 500 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Sludge, Soil 600 mg 300 mg ✓ ✓ At least 200 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ 600 mg
Adherent Cells, Animal Cell Lines 1×10⁶ 5×10⁵ ✓ ✓ ✓ Recommend 2×10⁷, at least 1×10⁷ ✓ Recommend 2×10⁷, at least 1×10⁷ Recommend 1×10⁷, at least 5×10⁶
E. Coli, Yeast Cells 1×10¹⁰ 5×10⁸ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial Balls/Mycelium, Cyanobacteria, Large Amount of Bacteria (Pellet), Slime Mold, Microbial Sludge, Dried Microbial Powder 100 mg / ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Lysosomes, Mitochondria, Endoplasmic Reticulum 4×10⁷ cells / 0.2 g tissue 1×10⁷ cells / 0.1 g tissue ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Exosomes, Extracellular Vesicles 2×10⁹ particles / 40 μg protein (BCA) 1×10⁹ particles / 20 μg protein (BCA) ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Skin Tape or Patch, Test Strips 2 pieces 1 piece ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Swab 1 piece 1 piece ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Hair human: 50 strands
mouse: 200 strands		 human: 20 strands
mouse: 100 strands		 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Plant Sample Requirements for Metabolomics

Plant Sample Classification

Tissue Common
Root, Stem, Leaf, Fruit, Flower, Bud, Node, Callus, Seed
Liquid I
Root Exudate
Liquid II
Wine
Liquid III
Juice, Fermentation Broth
Liquid IV
Oils, Essential Oils, Honey, Nectar, Paste
Liquid V
Herb Extract, Herb Decoction, Plant Tissue Fluid, Phloem Sap, Leaf Intercellular Fluid
Cell
Small Amount of Fungal Mycelial Balls/Mycelium, Unicellular Algae, Large Amount of Bacteria (Pellet), Slime Mold, Microbial Sludge, Dried Microbial Powder
Organelle
Plant-derived Exosome-like Nanoparticles
Solid I
Lyophilized Plant Powder
Solid II
Sludge, Soil

Plant Sample Amount Requirements

Sample Class Recommended Sample Size Minimum Sample Size Widely Targeted
Metabolomics/
Flavonoid		 Quantitative Lipidomics Plant Hormones/
Gibberellin		 Carotenoid Anthocyanin Sugars Organic acids/
Amino Acids		 Energy Metabolism SCFAs FFAs
Tissue 600 mg 300 mg ✓ ✓ Recommend 300 mg,
at least 100 mg		 ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Recommend 300 mg, at least 200 mg
Liquid I 10 ml 3 ml ✓ Recommend 500 μl,
at least 200 μl		 2mL 2mL Recommend 2mL, at least 100 μl 2mL
Liquid II 5 ml 50 μl / Recommend 500 μl,
at least 200 μl		 2mL
Liquid III 5 ml 50 μl ✓ Recommend 500 μl,
at least 200 μl		 Recommend 200 μl, at least 50 μl Recommend 500 μl, at least 100 μl Recommend 200 μl, at least 100 μl Recommend 200 μl, at least 50 μl
Liquid IV 500 μl 100 μl ✓ Recommend 100 mg,
at least 10 mg
Liquid V 500 μl 200 μl ✓ ✓
Cell 100 mg / ✓ Recommend 100 mg,
at least 20 mg		 / Recommend 600 mg,
at least 500 mg		 / ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓
Organelle 2×10⁹ particles /
40 μg protein (BCA)		 1×10⁹ particles /
20 μg protein (BCA)		 ✓ ✓ / / / / / / / /
Solid I 600 mg 200 mg ✓ ✓ / ✓ ✓ Recommend 100 mg,
at least 20 mg		 Recommend 100 mg, at least 50 mg Recommend 100 mg, at least 20 mg
Solid II 600 mg 300 mg ✓ / / / / 600 mg ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓

Volatile Sample Requirements for Metabolomics

Sample Requirements for Volatile Metabolomics

Sample Category Sample Examples Recommended Sample Size Minimum Sample Size
Plant Solid Samples Stems, shoots, nodes, leaves, roots, flowers, fruits, callus tissue, soil, edible fungi, mosses, algae, feed 1.5 g 500 mg
Oil-rich Seed Samples Sesame, peanuts, nuts, and various plant seeds 1 g 600 mg
Plant Liquid Samples Wine, vinegar, soy sauce, juice, fermentation broth, tissue fluids, plant oils 1.5 mL 1 mL
Root Exudates Root exudates 10 mL 3 mL
Extracts Essential oils 200 μL 100 μL
Animal Solid Samples Tissues, feces, semi-solid samples not suitable for pipetting, such as honey, shrimp paste, yogurt, molds, mycelia 1 g 600 mg
Animal Liquid Samples Plasma, serum, milk, saliva, urine, exhaled breath condensate, rumen fluid, microbial cultures 500 μL 400 μL
Cell Samples Plant or animal cells 1 × 10⁷ cells 1 × 10⁶ cells
Special Samples Cultured samples containing liquid 1.5 g 500 mg
Swab Samples Swab samples 20 swabs 10 swabs
Live Samples (No Pretreatment) Flowers <20 mm in diameter 20 flowers 10 flowers
Live Samples (No Pretreatment) Insects <20 mm in diameter, zebrafish organs, insect organs 20 samples 10 samples
Submission Notes: For volatile metabolomics, samples should be tightly sealed immediately after collection, stored at −80°C, protected from repeated freeze-thaw cycles, and shipped on dry ice to minimize volatile loss.
Biological Replicates: A minimum of 3 biological replicates is required; 3–6 replicates are recommended for animal samples, and 6–10 replicates are recommended for clinical samples.

Sample Requirements for Proteomics

Sample Requirements for DIA/DDA Proteomics and Label-free Peptidomics

Sample Class Sample Type DIA / DDA
Quantitative Proteomics		 Label-free Peptidomics
Recommended Minimum Recommended Minimum
Animal Tissue Normal Tissues (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Brain, Intestine, Stomach, Pancreas, Gallbladder, Testis, Ovary, Breast, Prostate, Thyroid, Adrenal Gland, Lymph, Muscle, Blood Vessel) 20 mg 5 mg 100 mg 50 mg
Fatty Tissue, Skin, Synovium 200 mg 100 mg 1 g 500 mg
Bone, Shell, Eggshell 1 g 500 mg 1 g 500 mg
Cartilage Tissue 400 mg 150 mg 1 g 500 mg
Hair 500 mg 200 mg 1 g 500 mg
Red Bone Marrow 20 mg 5 mg / /
Yellow Bone Marrow 50 mg 20 mg / /
Mucosa 50 mg 20 mg / /
Soft-bodied Insects (e.g., Fruit Flies, etc.) 30 mg 5 mg / /
Insects with Hard Exoskeleton (e.g., Beetles, etc.) 100 mg 50 mg / /
Egg Yolk, Egg White 100 μL 50 μL / /
Plant Tissue Young Tissue (Young Leaves, Petals, Callus Tissue) 50 mg 20 mg 200 mg 100 mg
Mature Tissue, Stems, Algae, Large Fungi (Mushrooms) 500 mg 200 mg 2 g 1 g
Bark, Roots, Fruits, Tuberous Roots, Tubers, Root Nodules 1 g 500 mg 2 g 1.5 g
Pollen, Anthers 40 mg 15 mg / /
Lyophilized Plant Tissue Powder 300 mg 150 mg / /
Cells Primary Cells 3×10⁶ 1×10⁶ 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶
Transmissible Cells 1×10⁶ 5×10⁵ 5×10⁶ 3×10⁶
Sperm, Platelets 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶ 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶
Adipocytes 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶ / /
Oocytes 40 20 / /
Organelles 25 μL (pellet) 15 μL (pellet) / /
Microorganisms Bacteria 100 mg 50 mg 300 mg 150 mg
Fungi 200 mg 100 mg 300 mg 150 mg
Liquid Samples Serum/Plasma (No Low-abundance Enrichment) 10 μL 1 μL 200 μL 50 μL
Joint Fluid, Lymph Fluid, Aqueous Humor, Vitreous Body, Fallopian Tube Fluid, Tears, Sputum, Saliva, Nasal Lavage Fluid, Nasal Secretions 200 μL 100 μL 300 μL 150 μL
Cerebrospinal Fluid, Ascites 200 μL 100 μL 300 μL 150 μL
Amniotic Fluid 200 μL 100 μL 200 μL 50 μL
Urine 5 mL 2 mL 20 mL 10 mL
Pericardial Effusion, Bile 100 μL 50 μL / /
Lipid Droplets 300 μL 200 μL / /
Alveolar lavage fluid (BALF) 5 mL 2 mL / /
Milk 50 μL 20 μL 200 μL 50 μL
Fermentation Broth 10 mL 5 mL / /
Cellular supernatant 25 mL 10 mL 50 mL 25 mL
Protein Extracted Protein 100 μg 50 μg / /
Special Samples FFPE Section 15 slides (5–10 μm thickness) / /
Formalin-fixed Tissue Block 20 mg 5 mg / /
Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded Tissue Block 30 mg 15 mg / /

Sample Requirements for PTM Proteomics Services

Only PTM-compatible sample types are shown. For unlisted samples, please contact us before submission.

Sample Class Sample Type Phosphorylation Ubiquitination /
Acetylation /
Succinylation		 Lactylation N-Glycosylation
Recommended Minimum Recommended Minimum Recommended Minimum Recommended Minimum
Animal Tissue Normal Tissues (Heart, Liver, Spleen, Lung, Kidney, Brain, Intestine, Stomach, Pancreas, Gallbladder, Testis, Ovary, Breast, Prostate, Thyroid, Adrenal Gland, Lymph, Muscle, Blood Vessel) 30 mg 15 mg 100 mg 50 mg 150 mg 75 mg 25 mg 15 mg
Fatty Tissue, Skin, Synovium 300 mg 150 mg / / / / / /
Red Bone Marrow 30 mg 15 mg 100 mg 50 mg 150 mg 75 mg 30 mg 15 mg
Yellow Bone Marrow 50 mg 30 mg 200 mg 100 mg 200 mg 100 mg 30 mg 15 mg
Soft-bodied Insects (e.g., Fruit Flies, etc.) 30 mg 15 mg 100 mg 50 mg 150 mg 75 mg 30 mg 15 mg
Insects with Hard Exoskeleton (e.g., Beetles, etc.) 500 mg 300 mg 2 g 1 g 2 g 1 g 500 mg 300 mg
Plant Tissue Young Tissue (Young Leaves, Petals, Callus Tissue) 200 mg 100 mg 1 g 500 mg 500 mg 100 mg 100 mg 50 mg
Mature Tissue, Stems, Algae, Large Fungi (Mushrooms) 500 mg 300 mg 2 g 1 g 2 g 1 g 250 mg 150 mg
Bark, Roots, Fruits, Tuberous Roots, Tubers, Root Nodules 3 g 1.5 g 5 g 3 g 5 g 3 g 1 g 1 g
Cells Primary Cells 2×10⁷ 1×10⁷ 2×10⁷ 2×10⁷ 3×10⁷ 1.5×10⁷ 2×10⁷ 1×10⁷
Transmissible Cells 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶ 2×10⁷ 2×10⁷ 2×10⁷ 1×10⁷ 5×10⁶ 2×10⁷
Sperm, Platelets 1×10⁸ 5×10⁷ 4×10⁸ 2×10⁸ 6×10⁸ 3×10⁸ 1×10⁸ 5×10⁷
Microorganisms Bacteria 300 mg 150 mg 500 mg 200 mg 500 mg 200 mg 150 mg 75 mg
Fungi 300 mg 150 mg 1 g 500 mg 2 g 1 g 150 mg 75 mg
Liquid Samples Serum/Plasma (No Low-abundance Enrichment) / / / / / / 50 μL 10 μL
Protein Extracted Protein 500 μg 200 μg 5 mg 3 mg 6 mg 4 mg 500 μg 250 μg

IP / Co-IP / Pull-down Sample Requirements for DIA Proteomics

Acceptable sample types Sample requirements Our proteomics intake MS-compatibility & handling notes Recommended controls
Bead–Ab/bait–target complexes (bead pellet) Requirement: Submit 20 μL bead pellets. Suggestion: Perform IP/PD from ~1×10⁷ cells. After the final wash, rinse beads with PBS or ultrapure water, remove excess liquid, and ship the pellets on dry ice. On-bead digestion → LC-MS/MS Indicate the antibody used (host/isotype/clone) or the pull-down bait format (e.g., tag/ligand). IP/Co-IP: Isotype IgG, beads-only, Input/Flow-through;
Eluates (acid / peptide / competitive / denaturing) Requirement: Submit 50 μL eluate containing ~10–20 μg total protein. Suggestion: Use a mild, MS-compatible elution buffer. Do not use Laemmli buffer. If Laemmli was used, run SDS-PAGE and submit excised gel bands instead; ship on dry ice. Buffer exchange → digestion → LC-MS/MS Specify the elution buffer composition; use low-detergent, MS-compatible buffers. If high SDS is present, we will perform acetone precipitation to exchange buffers (with some protein loss). Acceptable. Pull-down: Bait-only resin, free-ligand competition (peptide/small molecule), mutant bait (interface disruption).

SDS-PAGE Derived Sample Requirements for DIA Proteomics

Acceptable sample types Sample requirements Our proteomics intake MS-compatibility & handling notes Recommended controls
Gel bands (clean excised pieces) Requirement: Target band(s) clearly visible on the gel. Suggestion: Load 10 μg/lane for clear bands; provide a gel image with the MW marker and state the protein load per lane. Excise the target band(s), place in low-bind tubes with a few μL ultrapure water, seal, and ship with icepacks. Avoid room-temperature storage. In-gel digestion → LC-MS/MS Prefer Coomassie staining Submit a blank gel piece from the same gel and/or a neighboring band as background control.

Sample Requirements for Transcriptomics

Sample Class Sample Type Recommended Minimum
Tissue Samples Plant tissues with high nucleotide yields: fresh and young leaves, flowers, stems, stamens, anthers and young seeds of common species. 300 mg 20 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
Human/Animal tissues with high nucleotide yields: internal tissues such as liver, spleen, thymus, heart, brain, lungs, kidneys, etc. 50 mg 10 mg
Human/Animal tissues with low nucleotide yields: skin, bone, fat, etc. 200 mg 100 mg
Liquid Samples Freshly collected whole blood 3 ml 0.5 ml
Semi-solid fungi 1 ml 0.5 ml
Cells Fresh cultured cells 5×10⁶ cells 1×10⁶ cells
Fungi 5×10⁶ cells or 300 mg 1×10⁶ cells or 50 mg
RNA Total RNA Concentration ≥50 ng/μl; Total Amount ≥2 μg; Volume ≥15 μl; RIN ≥6

Sample Requirements for Microbiome

Sample Class Sample Type 16S Sequencing Metagenome Sequencing
Recommended Minimum Recommended Minimum
Solid sample Feces, Intestinal Contents 2 g 500 mg 200 mg 100 mg
Swab 10 pieces 4 pieces 10 pieces 5 pieces
Tissue 1 g 500 mg / /
Water Body Filter Membrane (pore size 0.22–0.45 μm, diameter 3–4 cm) 2 pieces 1 piece 3 pieces 1 piece
Soil, Sludge, Sediment, Humus 3 g 0.5 g 500 mg 200 mg
Liquid sample Rumen Fluid, Fermentation Broth, Tissue Fluid (with noticeable precipitate after centrifugation) 3 ml, precipitate 1 g 1 ml, precipitate 0.5 g 5 ml, precipitate 300 mg 1 ml, precipitate 100 mg
Saliva 5 ml 3 ml 5 ml 3 ml
DNA Concentration ≥5 ng/μl; Total Amount ≥150 ng; Volume ≥30 μl; 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 ≥10 ng/μl; Total Amount ≥500 ng; Volume ≥50 μl; OD260/280 = 1.8–2.0. DNA must have a distinct main band, no degradation, and be free from RNA, proteins, and other impurities.

Sampling Guideline

Representative Sample Sampling Method
Serum Collect whole blood using serum separation tubes with clot activator. Allow to clot at room temperature for 60 minutes (do not shake). Centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C. Aliquot 200 μl supernatant into pre-labeled 2 ml tubes. Snap freeze in liquid nitrogen for 5–10 min, store at -80°C.
Plasma Collect whole blood using anticoagulant tubes (EDTA, heparin, or citrate). Mix gently by inversion. Centrifuge at 3000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C. Aliquot 200 μl supernatant into pre-labeled 2 ml tubes. Snap freeze in liquid nitrogen for 5–10 min, store at -80°C.
Tissue Rinse tissue briefly with PBS to remove blood/debris. Snap freeze in liquid nitrogen within 30 min of collection. Store at -80°C. Do not use RNAlater for metabolomics (it interferes with detection).
Urine Collect mid-stream urine. Centrifuge at 4000 rpm for 10 min at 4°C to remove cells/debris. Aliquot supernatant and freeze at -80°C.
Cells Wash cells 2–3 times with cold PBS. Snap freeze cell pellet in liquid nitrogen. Store at -80°C. Minimum 1×10⁶ cells recommended.
Feces Collect fresh fecal samples. Freeze immediately in liquid nitrogen. Store at -80°C. Avoid freeze-thaw cycles. For microbiome, use sterile collection tubes.

Shipping Guideline

  1. Dry Ice Booking: Book sufficient dry ice. Prepare at least 5 kg of dry ice for each transit day.
  2. Sample Collection: Use appropriate tubes. Different services require separate tubes. Label clearly with markers that won't erase. Wrap tube cap with parafilm.
  3. Sample Packaging: Wrap tubes in absorbent paper towels. Place in separate sealed plastic bags. Wrap each bag in bubble wrap.
  4. Sample Information Form (SIF): Print and complete the SIF. Tube labels must match SIF labels. Place in sealed plastic bag inside the shipment.
  5. Box Preparation: Place tubes and SIF in a polystyrene box with sufficient dry ice. Fill empty space with bubble wrap or packing material.
  6. External Packaging: Place polystyrene box in a slightly larger cardboard box. Seal with packing tape. Affix a "Dry Ice" label to the outside.
  7. Shipping Service: Use Next-Day delivery.
  8. Notification: Email completed SIF, purchase order/quote, and tracking number to support-global@metwarebio.com.
  9. Shipping Address:
    Attn: Rui He
    8A Henshaw Street, Woburn, MA 01801, USA
    (781) 975-1541
    Support-global@metwarebio.com

Frequently Asked Questions

For untargeted metabolomics, the recommended amount is 100 μl per sample, with a minimum of 20 μl. For targeted panels (e.g., steroid hormones, oxylipins), you may need 50–100 μl. Always provide extra volume if possible to allow for repeat analysis.
For DIA proteomics, the minimum sample amount depends on the tissue type. For normal animal tissues (liver, spleen, etc.), the minimum is 5 mg. For fatty tissue or skin, the minimum is 100 mg. For serum/plasma (without enrichment), as little as 1 μl is acceptable.
Wrap sample tubes in absorbent paper and sealed bags, then in bubble wrap. Place in a polystyrene box with at least 5 kg of dry ice per transit day. Put the polystyrene box inside a cardboard box, seal it, and attach a "Dry Ice" label. Use Next-Day delivery and email the tracking number to support-global@metwarebio.com.
A minimum of 3 biological replicates is required for all sample types. For animal studies, we recommend 3–6 replicates. For clinical samples, 6–10 replicates are recommended to account for individual variability.
If your sample type is not listed in our guidelines, please contact us. Our scientific team will evaluate your sample and provide specific guidance on collection, storage, and shipping requirements.

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