Deep silicification-assisted long- term preservation of structural and genomic information across biospecies: From micro to macro

• 成果类型: Article
• 署名作者: Liang, Ke; Zhou, Liang; Lei, Qi; Ruan, Ting; Zhang, Minmin; Guo, Jimin; Brinker, C. Jeffrey; Zhu, Wei
• 署名单位: South China University of Technology; Guangzhou Medical University; South China Normal University; Beijing University of Chemical Technology; University of New Mexico
• 刊物名称: PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
• ISSN/ISSBN: 0027-15345
• DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2408273121
• 发表日期: 2024-10-10
• 关键词: nucleic-acids; silica; dna; temperature; tissue; robust; complexity; CHALLENGES; biobanking; pathology

摘要

The concurrent preservation of morphological, structural, and genomic attributes within biological samples is paramount for comprehensive insights into biological phenomena and disease mechanisms. However, current preservation methodologies (e.g., cryopreservation, chemical reagent fixation, and bioplasticization) exhibit limitations in simultaneously achieving these critical combined goals. To address this gap, inspired by natural fossilization, here we propose deep silicification, a room temperature technology that eliminates fixation requirements and overcomes the cold chain problem. By harnessing the synergy between ethanol and dimethyl sulfoxide, deep silicification significantly enhances silica penetration and accumulation within bioorganisms, thereby reinforcing structural integrity. This versatile and cost- effective approach demonstrates remarkable efficacy in preserving organismal morphology across various scales. Accelerated aging experiments underscore a 4,723- fold enhancement in genomic information storage over millennia, with whole- genome sequencing confirming nearly 100% fidelity. With its simplicity and reliability, deep silicification represents a paradigm shift in biological sample storage.