Ambient-temperature-stable molecular biology reagents.

We have processed biological materials to generate several reagents that are ambient temperature stable and ready to use. Stabilized biomolecules in a glassy matrix of carbohydrate polymers offer water-soluble reagents for complex molecular biology applications. This approach is particularly useful for reagent systems composed of enzymes, nucleotides and other components dispensed in single-use aliquots. Reconstitution of the glassy matrix delivers buffered enzymes and/or nucleotides for restriction, modification, sequencing and/or amplification of nucleic acids. These ambient-temperature-stable reagents allow a high level of reproducibility as they minimize the potential for pipetting errors. They also provide advantages in shipping, storage and subsequent handling. Added convenience includes elimination of setup time, cross contamination and refrigeration. Applications of ambient-temperature-stable biological reagents for routine molecular biology methods are presented.