Human plasma centrifuged from anticoagulated whole blood. Available in EDTA and citrate formats from AI-matched donors. Ideal for proteomics, cytokine panels, coagulation assays, and biomarker discovery.
Plasma is the acellular, protein-rich supernatant obtained by centrifuging anticoagulated whole blood. Unlike serum, plasma retains all coagulation factors because the clotting cascade is never activated — the anticoagulant prevents fibrinogen from converting to fibrin. This makes plasma the preferred matrix for coagulation research, pharmacokinetic studies, and any assay sensitive to platelet activation artifacts.
Anticoagulant choice fundamentally shapes your plasma's biochemical profile. EDTA plasma — the most widely used format — chelates divalent cations to block coagulation and is compatible with most immunoassays, ELISAs, and multiplex cytokine panels. Citrate plasma preserves coagulation factor activity and is mandatory for PT and aPTT assays. Lithium heparin plasma is often preferred for metabolomics because EDTA can suppress certain enzymatic reactions.
When you buy plasma specimens for research, the anticoagulant, centrifugation speed, and time-to-processing are all critical pre-analytical variables. Helio Research documents and controls these parameters at every collection site.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Typical Volume | 1–5 mL aliquots per specimen (yield dependent on donor draw volume and hematocrit) |
| Anticoagulant Options | K2-EDTA, Sodium Citrate (3.2%), Lithium Heparin |
| Processing | Centrifugation at 1,500–2,500 × g for 10–15 min within 2 hours of draw; double-spun available on request |
| Storage | -80°C for long-term storage; stable at -20°C for up to 3 months for most analytes |
| Turnaround | 2–5 business days from order confirmation; same-day processing before freezing |
| Documentation | Centrifugation parameters, time-to-spin, anticoagulant lot, donor demographics, IRB consent |
Specify anticoagulant type, aliquot volume, number of specimens, centrifugation requirements, and any donor inclusion/exclusion criteria relevant to your study.
Our system matches against demographics, health history, fasting status, medication use, and any condition-specific criteria. Scheduling is coordinated for same-day processing.
Plasma is centrifuged, aliquoted, and shipped on dry ice. Documentation includes collection metadata and chain-of-custody records for regulatory compliance.
EDTA plasma is the standard format for most immunoassays, ELISAs, and cfDNA extraction. Citrate plasma retains native coagulation factor activity and is required for PT, aPTT, and factor-specific assays. Heparin plasma is preferred for metabolomics but can interfere with PCR-based methods — specify your assay and we'll recommend the right matrix.
Store at -80°C for long-term stability. Aliquot into single-use volumes before freezing to avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles, which degrade protein integrity and nucleic acid yield. Most cytokine analytes are stable through 2–3 freeze-thaw cycles; coagulation factors are more sensitive and should be single-thaw only.
Yes. Our matched specimen sets include plasma, serum, and other fractions collected from a single donor in one visit. This is valuable for studies comparing matrix-specific analyte recovery or running parallel assay validations. See our Matched Specimen Sets page for details.
Submit your protocol requirements and receive a quote within 24 hours.
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