Human whole blood collected via standard venipuncture. Available in EDTA, lithium heparin, and SST tubes from AI-matched donors with documented health history and demographics.
Whole blood is the complete, unfractionated product of a standard venipuncture draw — red cells, white cells, platelets, and plasma collected together in a single tube. It is the most foundational biospecimen type and the starting material for virtually every downstream blood-derived fraction.
Depending on the anticoagulant used, whole blood preserves different analyte classes. EDTA chelates calcium to prevent coagulation while preserving nucleic acid integrity — making it the gold standard for genomic DNA extraction, CBC analysis, and HbA1c measurement. Lithium heparin inhibits thrombin activity and is preferred for metabolomics and proteomics where EDTA interference is a concern. SST tubes contain a clot activator and gel separator, yielding serum upon centrifugation while the cellular fraction is retained below the gel barrier.
When you buy whole blood specimens for research, tube selection should be driven by your downstream assay. Helio Research coordinates with collection sites to ensure tubes match your protocol exactly.
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Typical Volume | 4–10 mL per tube (8.5 mL SST, 4 mL or 8 mL EDTA, 6 mL lithium heparin) |
| Anticoagulant Options | K2-EDTA, K3-EDTA, Lithium Heparin, Sodium Heparin, SST (no anticoagulant) |
| Processing | Minimal — collected, labeled, packaged on wet ice same day |
| Storage | 2–8°C for up to 72 hours; EDTA tubes stable for DNA extraction up to 7 days at 4°C |
| Turnaround | 2–5 business days from order confirmation |
| Documentation | IRB-compliant consent, collection date/time, tube type, donor demographics on request |
Tell us your tube type, volume per specimen, required donor demographics, disease state inclusion/exclusion criteria, and any assay-specific handling notes.
Our matching engine screens the donor pool against your criteria — age, sex, BMI, medication use, comorbidities, and genetic ancestry — and schedules collection appointments.
Tubes are collected, packaged on wet ice, and shipped same day. You receive specimens with full documentation and chain-of-custody records.
We offer K2-EDTA, K3-EDTA, lithium heparin, sodium heparin, and SST (serum separator with clot activator). Specify your preference based on downstream application — EDTA for genomics, heparin for proteomics/metabolomics, SST when you need serum from the same draw.
Most analytes are stable in EDTA whole blood for 24–72 hours at 2–8°C. Genomic DNA extraction is stable up to 7 days. For RNA-based assays or sensitive protein panels, we recommend PAXgene or immediate processing protocols — contact us to discuss your specific requirements.
Yes. Our AI matching system filters against documented health history, demographics (age, sex, BMI, ethnicity), current medications, and comorbidities. We support healthy volunteer cohorts, disease-state groups, and mixed cohorts for case-control study designs.
Submit your protocol requirements and receive a quote within 24 hours.
Request Whole Blood