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Taq polymerase storage
#1
Dear all,
The Taq polymerase storage is usually -20 degree. I have a freezer -40 degree, so my boss didn't agree my order (Taq polymerase) because the temperature storage is not match.
Can we store Taq below -20 degree? and do you have any references to prove the answer?
Thanks all
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#2
Cryoprotection

The crux of this question is whether the storage buffer in which the Taq polymerase is provided is sufficiently cryoprotective to allow the enzyme to be stored at -40°C rather than -20°C. You do not state in your query which company you wished to order the Taq polymerase from or whether you consulted them as to whether you could store the enzyme at -40°C. They are certain to have storage and use specifications for their enzyme on the product data sheet that would accompany their Taq polymerase; your query implies that they specify storage at -20°C but it would still be worth consulting them. I would surmise that the storage buffer may be insufficiently cryoprotective for prolonged storage below -20°C.

On their data sheet you should find details of the storage buffer that the enzyme comes in. You will often find that enzymes such as Taq polymerase come in a storage buffer that contains cryoprotectants, typically glycerol or perhaps ethylene glycol to a final concentration of 25-50%. The role of these cryoprotectants is to protect the enzyme from degradation during repeated freeze-thaw cycles that occur when removing the enzymes from the freezer to use in experiments. Without such a cryoprotectant, ice crystals would form at -20°C and these would break down the protein structure and hence cause enzyme degradation after a small number of uses. I would suggest that the company supplying the Taq polymerase will be able to advise you as to whether the cryoprotectant properties of their storage buffer are robust enough to withstand freezing the enzyme at temperatures lower than -20°C. The sources below may help clarify the point; to allow freezing at temperatures lower than -20°C may require a higher concentration of cryoprotectant than is typical for the storage buffers supplied with commercial Taq polymerase products. I would advise that investing in a small domestic freezer set at -20°C may be the best long-term solution to storage issues you may have with Taq polymerase and indeed other commercially available enzymes.

Sources
http://www.labome.com/method/Antibody-Sh...odies.html
http://sites.bio.indiana.edu/~chenlab/pr...torage.pdf
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#3
I think we should do as instruction guidance. It is better to store the Taq polymerase in -20.
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