Plasmids can be submitted as either DNA or transformed in bacteria.
DNA: Aliquot 15 µL of DNA into a 1.5 mL microfuge tube (at a concentration of 0.1 - 1µg/µL) and use Addgene's prepaid shipping materials. Please make sure that each tube is labeled with an Addgene barcode.
Bacterial cultures: Streak the glycerol stock for single colonies onto a plate with the appropriate antibiotic (please streak only 1 sample per plate). After streaking, please seal each plate with parafilm and place the label on the bottom of the agar plate. Please wrap the plates individually in bubble wrap or similar padding, and then use Addgene's prepaid shipping materials to return them to our facility.
Please note that if you have more than 5 bacterial plates, we do not recommend using Addgene's deposit kit. Rather, you will be responsible for selecting an appropriate package and shipping the samples back to Addgene according to safety guidelines. We recommend using a box with bubble wrap for padding so that the samples do not move inside the box. Please contact deposit@addgene.org if you have more than 5 bacterial plates and we will be happy to assist you with your deposit.
Please note that if plates are damaged during transit, we will request that you send a new sample.
Frequently asked questions:
1. Can I still send DNA if the concentration is less than 0.1µg/µL?
Yes, we can attempt to process plasmids with lower DNA concentrations. However, we may request replacement samples transformed in bacteria if we are not able to obtain transformants in our lab. If the concentration of any of your samples is significantly below 0.1µg/µL or you suspect that they may be particularly difficult to transform, please email deposit@addgene.org and we will be happy to discuss your deposit in further detail.
2. Which bacterial strains does Addgene use for transformation?
Addgene can transform your plasmid DNA into the following strains:
DH5alpha, NEB Stable, ccdB Survival, Pir1
If your plasmid requires a specialized strain, the plasmid must be submitted to us as described for bacterial cultures above. Please note that Addgene can only accept E. coli strains that can be handled under BSL-1 conditions.
3. Can Addgene accommodate non-standard growth conditions for my plasmids?
We can accommodate some non-standard growth requests, so please email us at deposit@addgene.org to inquire! Because we are a high-throughput facility and process hundreds of plasmids per week, we are unfortunately not able to accommodate every request.
4. Can I submit a deposit of 50 or more plasmids?
Addgene is sometimes able to accept large plasmid deposits; however, we do ask you to contact us for large plasmid deposits, as they are put through a review process before Addgene is able to accept them. If you would like to deposit more than 50 plasmids, please email deposit@addgene.org for additional information.