How do I clean and store the qEV column after I've collected my EVs?

The table below shows the cleaning steps required for each of the qEV columns:

Column Cleaning Table

Unused qEV columns should be stored at room temperature. Used qEV columns can be stored at room temperature providing they have been cleaned according to these instructions and stored in 20% ethanol or 0.05% w/v sodium azide. If the appropriate solutions are not available for storage at room temperature then columns can be stored at +4 to +8 °C after use.

20% Ethanol can also be used to store columns, however if a concentrated electrolyte such as 2x PBS is used, flush the column with DI water before introducing 20% ethanol otherwise salt will precipitate out inside the column and render the column unusable.

  • Single use is advisable where the vesicle fractions are to be analysed using PCR or RT-PCR. 

  • Degassed buffers will help avoid air bubbles forming in the gel bed. A small number of air bubbles will have minimal effect on the column performance.

  • It is recommended to use a buffer with an ionic strength of 0.15 M or greater to avoid any unwanted ionic interactions between the solute molecule and the matrix.

  • To avoid clogging of column filters, it is recommended to filter or low-speed centrifuge the biological sample to remove large particulate matter.