What to do for Friday Blood Draws

NCRAD is not open for business on Saturday or Sunday; therefore, we ask that no samples be shipped on a Friday. We cannot guarantee the conditions in which the samples will be held by the shipping courier over the weekend. It is important to have plans in place for each type of sample to be held over the weekend prior to shipping. Please refer to the table below for how to handle samples drawn on a Friday.

When possible, please only ship frozen samples on Monday-Wednesday. There is always the potential for an unexpected shipping courier delay and by shipping Monday through Wednesday there should be enough time to receive the samples before the weekend


Sample Type	Tube Type	Product	Shipment Method	Friday Draw Instructions
Whole Blood	Sodium Heparin	PBMC	Ambient	DO NOT DRAW ON FRIDAY. Must be drawn on Monday – Thursday.
Whole Blood	EDTA Tube	DNA Only	Ambient	Do NOT refrigerate. Please keep sample at room temperature until the specimen can be shipped via next day delivery methods the following Monday.
Whole Blood	EDTA Tube	DNA Only	Frozen	Whole blood in EDTA may be frozen in a -80°C freezer within 5 days of collection and shipped frozen on dry ice to NCRAD to remain within the stability window for DNA extraction.
Whole Blood	ACD Solution A Tube	Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines	Ambient	Do NOT refrigerate. Please keep sample at room temperature until the specimen can be shipped via next day delivery methods the following Monday.
Whole Blood	PAXgene™ Tube	RNA	Frozen	The PAXgene™ Tube must be placed on a wire rack and stored in a -80°C freezer. The sample may then be packaged with dry ice pellets and shipped as the study MOP dictates.
Cerebral Spinal Fluid	Polypropylene Aliquot Tubes	CSF	Frozen	CSF must be processed and aliquoted locally the day of collection. Once aliquoted, samples are stored upright in a -80°C freezer until shipment. The aliquots may then be packed with dry ice pellets and shipped as the study MOP dictates.
Plasma	Polypropylene Aliquot Tubes	Plasma	Frozen	Plasma must be processed and aliquoted locally the day of collection. Once aliquoted, samples are stored upright in a -80°C freezer before shipment. The aliquots may then be packed with dry ice pellets and shipped frozen as the study MOP dictates.
Buffy Coat	Polypropylene Aliquot Tubes	DNA	Frozen	Buffy Coat aliquots must be processed and aliquoted locally the day of collection. Once aliquoted, the sample must then be transferred into a -80°C freezer until shipment. The aliquot may then be packed with dry ice pellets and shipped frozen as the study MOP dictates.
Serum	Polypropylene Aliquot Tubes	Serum	Frozen	Serum must be processed and aliquoted locally the day of collection. Once aliquoted, samples must then be transferred into a -80°C freezer. The aliquots may then be packed with dry ice pellets and shipped frozen as the study MOP dictates.