Preserving molecular truth in every drop of blood for advanced diagnostics and research
Every drop of blood tells a story—a narrative of health and disease written in the language of molecules. Until recently, we lacked the tools to read this story without disturbing the author.
Informative cfDNA often represents less than 1% of total blood DNA
Days of sample stability at room temperature with Synergy BCT
Base pairs - typical length of cfDNA fragments from nucleosomes
The advent of liquid biopsies has changed this fundamental paradigm, allowing scientists to detect cancer, monitor pregnancies, and track disease progression through a simple blood draw. At the heart of this revolution lies an unsung hero: the blood collection tube. This seemingly simple vial does far more than just hold blood—it preserves molecular truth at a critical moment, capturing fragile genetic signals before they disappear.
The Synergy BCT, developed by SiO2 Materials Science, represents a quantum leap in blood preservation technology. Unlike conventional tubes that merely prevent clotting, this innovative tube employs a proprietary, formaldehyde-free preservative that maintains the integrity of cell-free DNA (cfDNA), RNA, and genomic DNA for extended periods.
To appreciate the significance of the Synergy BCT, we must first understand the fragile nature of its targets. Our blood contains precious molecular information in the form of cell-free DNA (cfDNA)—short fragments of DNA released into the bloodstream through cell death.
In pregnant women, a fraction of cfDNA comes from the placenta, enabling non-invasive prenatal testing without risk to the fetus.
In cancer patients, tumor-derived cfDNA carries the genetic signature of malignancies, allowing doctors to monitor treatment response without repeated invasive biopsies.
95% of DNA in blood comes from white blood cells
4% from other bodily tissues
Only 1% represents the target diagnostic information
The challenge is that these informative cfDNA fragments represent only a tiny fraction (often less than 1%) of the total DNA in blood. The majority comes from white blood cells, which can rupture during storage, releasing abundant genomic DNA that overwhelms the subtle cfDNA signal. This contamination poses a major obstacle to accurate analysis 1 .
Additionally, cfDNA is highly fragmented—typically around 167 base pairs in length—corresponding to the DNA wrapped around nucleosomes, the fundamental units of chromosome packaging.
Compounding these challenges, RNA molecules are even more fragile than DNA. RNA degrades rapidly due to ubiquitous enzymes called RNases, making its preservation particularly difficult. Yet RNA provides crucial information about gene activity that DNA cannot, making its stabilization equally important for comprehensive molecular analysis.
The Synergy BCT addresses these challenges through an elegant dual-mechanism approach that combines physical and chemical preservation strategies.
The tube itself is crafted from an advanced material that has the vacuum retention properties of glass with the durability and safety of plastic. This unique combination ensures consistent draw volume and prevents tube breakage during shipping.
The tube contains a proprietary preservative formulation that stabilizes blood cells and nucleic acids without formaldehyde. This eliminates crosslinking problems that can complicate downstream analysis in other preservative tubes.
Advanced material prevents sample degradation
Prevents white blood cell lysis and gDNA release
Preserves cfDNA and RNA integrity
Maintains stability at room temperature
The preservative works primarily by preventing white blood cell lysis (rupture), thereby protecting the precious cfDNA and RNA signals from being drowned out by genomic DNA contamination. Studies have demonstrated that this stabilization technology maintains blood sample integrity for over 30 days at room temperature, a remarkable improvement over the 24-48 hour window typically available with conventional tubes 3 .
This extended stability has profound practical implications. It means that blood samples can be drawn at a local clinic, shipped to a specialized central laboratory across the country, and still yield high-quality molecular data. It enables standardization necessary for meaningful comparative analysis in large research studies.
How do we know that the Synergy BCT actually delivers on its promises? The evidence comes from rigorous validation studies comparing its performance against other blood collection systems.
Blood collected from healthy donors and stored in different tube types at room temperature
Plasma isolated at specific intervals: day 0, 3, 7, and 14
DNA levels measured using sensitive molecular techniques
Extracted nucleic acids used to prepare next-generation sequencing libraries
| Tube Type | DNA Increase by Day 7 | Sample Quality |
|---|---|---|
| K2EDTA | Up to 20-fold | Poor |
| Streck | Minimal | Good |
| Roche | Minimal | Good |
| Synergy BCT | Negligible | Excellent |
The results were striking. Tubes with effective preservative technology showed minimal increase in DNA concentration over time, indicating successful prevention of white blood cell lysis. In contrast, standard K2EDTA tubes showed substantial DNA concentration increases—in some cases up to 20-fold—by day 7, reflecting significant contamination from genomic DNA released by deteriorating blood cells .
Room temperature stability
Minimal gDNA contamination
Minimal effect of fluctuations on RNA quality
Advancements in liquid biopsy research depend on a suite of specialized tools and reagents, each playing a critical role in the journey from blood draw to molecular analysis.
| Tool/Reagent | Primary Function | Application in Liquid Biopsy |
|---|---|---|
| Synergy BCT | Stabilizes blood cells and nucleic acids during storage and transport | Preserves cfDNA, RNA, and gDNA for up to 30 days at room temperature |
| QIAsymphony SP | Automated nucleic acid extraction system | Processes large sample volumes with consistent recovery of cfDNA |
| QIAamp Circulating Nucleic Acid Kit | Manual extraction of cfDNA and other circulating nucleic acids | Isolates high-quality cfDNA from plasma samples for downstream analysis |
| KAPA2G Fast PCR Kits | Rapid amplification of DNA fragments | Quantifies DNA levels in plasma samples through real-time PCR |
| Digital PCR platforms | Absolute quantification of rare DNA variants | Detects cancer-associated mutations in cfDNA with high sensitivity |
| Next-generation sequencers | Comprehensive analysis of DNA and RNA sequences | Identifies genetic alterations in tumor-derived cfDNA and characterizes transcriptomes |
The preservation technology in tubes like the Synergy BCT acts as the first and most critical link in this chain, ensuring that the molecular information entering the pipeline accurately reflects the biological reality at the time of blood draw. Without this robust preservation, even the most sophisticated downstream analysis tools cannot recover degraded or contaminated genetic signals.
The implications of effective blood preservation extend far beyond technical convenience. This technology is catalyzing changes across multiple domains of healthcare and research.
The extended stability provided by tubes like Synergy BCT is making sophisticated genetic testing accessible to broader populations. Patients in rural or remote areas can now have their blood drawn locally and shipped to specialized centers for analysis.
The technology enables more frequent monitoring of treatment response through liquid biopsy. Blood-based monitoring allows oncologists to track tumor evolution in real time, adjusting treatments as resistance mutations emerge.
The standardization enabled by effective preservation tubes is accelerating discoveries in population-scale studies. Large cohort studies involving tens of thousands of participants rely on standardized collection methods across numerous recruitment sites.
The ability to reliably preserve RNA opens doors to transcriptomic analyses from blood samples. RNA provides a dynamic picture of gene activity, potentially revealing information about disease states, treatment responses, and even psychological stress.
The Synergy Blood Collection Tube represents far more than an incremental improvement in laboratory supplies. It embodies a fundamental shift in how we approach molecular diagnostics—from a race against time to a deliberate process of preservation.
Basic tubes for blood storage and transport
Tubes with additives to prevent clotting
Chemical stabilization of blood components
Advanced materials and chemistry for molecular integrity
As we look to the future, the importance of such preservation technologies will only grow. The field of liquid biopsy is expanding beyond cancer and prenatal testing to include applications in neurodegenerative diseases, cardiovascular disorders, transplant monitoring, and even infectious disease.
The unassuming blood collection tube, once a simple container, has evolved into an active preservation system that maintains molecular integrity across time and distance. In doing so, it has become an essential enabler of the personalized medicine revolution—proving that sometimes, the most profound advances come not in flashy imaging machines or powerful drugs, but in the quiet perfection of the fundamental tools that make science possible.