FAQ related to plant viruses

This page provides information about the handling of plant viruses and plant virus diagnostics.
For questions related to the ordering of plant viruses and plant virus diagnostics please see our FAQ here or download our short guideline on how to order from the DSMZ.

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  • Can I use purchased plant viruses for commercial purposes?

    Bioresources purchased from DSMZ may not be used for commercial purposes. Exceptions to this are regulated in our General Terms and Conditions (§10 para. 4). Please use our contact form to address your request.

  • How should your material be stored?

    All antisera and serological reagents should be stored at +4°C. We recommend to store freeze-dried controls and virus inoculum at -20°C.

  • What does a positive/negative control consist of?

    Controls usually consist of vacuum freeze-dried plant sap, provided in small glass vials. Dissolve all controls in 2 ml of buffer. Store aliquots at -20°C.

  • How are nucleic acid extract delivered?

    Nucleic acid extracts are delivered in ethanol. To recover and remove Na-acetate, spin down for 20 min at 4°C and 13,000 rpm, discard supernatant, wash with 70% ethanol and dry pellet. Dissolve in appropriate buffer.

  • Why does my IgG/conjugate vial look empty?

    Serological reagents are highly concentrated and have to be diluted prior to use. Thus, e.g. a vial for 100 tests contains only 20 µl! Before opening the vials, please spin down all the liquid by a short centrifugation (approx. 3,000 rpm for a few seconds).

  • How should I prepare and send samples for virus/viroid detection?

    Different sample materials and procedures are used for the analyses. Please always contact us before sending any samples.