storage of RNA

[maruisa]

I heard a lot of scary things about working with RNA: that is degrading fast, even when stored at -20°C.
Does somebody has any lab experience with this?

[shutgun]

Well, the thinks are not so skary as they might seem in the beginig. Of course, it depends on what kind of samples you are working with. Generally, RNA extracts from cell cultures or other samples are less stable than the RNA produced by in vitro transcription. The whole point is just how clean you are working. If you are using RNase free solutions, than it should not be a to big problem. Also, a clean bench and pipets is always a plus when working with RNA. And do not forget gloves .
There is the problem ofcourse of the RNases which can be found already in your samples (in cell cultures and other biological samples) but there are reagents used to inactivate them.

[Lihualee]

thanks for help