. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2014 Jul 15.

Published in final edited form as: Curr Issues Mol Biol. 2009 Oct 2;12(3):135–142.

Table 5.

Comparison of features for room temperature nucleic acid storage and freezer storage.

Feature	Freezer (−80°C)	Room Temperature Nucleic Acid Storage (Biomatrica, GenVault)
Footprint	Large, Typically in a Separate Lab Area/Room	Small to Large, Desktop Storage Possible
Energy Consumption	7,000 kWh/year	0
Annual Energy Cost	Approx $1,000	0
Fluorocarbon and CO₂	Yes, Some Models	No
Risk of Sample Loss with Power Outage	Yes	No
Sample Shipping	Dry Ice or Cold Packs	Room Temperature
Sample Storage Ease	Freeze-Thaw within Minutes	Overnight Drying; Instant Rehydration