How to Prepare Serum from Blood
Blood contains red blood cells, white blood cells, plasma and serum. Serum contains 6 to 8 percent of the proteins that make up blood. The serum proteins are separated into serum albumin and serum globulins using a process called electrophoresis, which uses an electric current to separate the proteins. Gamma globulin, one of the serum globulins, contains antibodies that help your body fight infection.
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Things You'll Need
- Syringe and needle
- Glass test tubes
- Rubber stoppers
- Test tube rack
- Pasteur pipettes
- Centrifuge tube
- Centrifuge machine
- Storage bags
Instructions
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1
Draw blood from a patient using venipuncture. Remove the needle and dispense the blood into glass test tubes. Cap each tube with a rubber stopper.
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2
Place the blood specimens vertically in a test tube rack. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes until the blood clots. Clotting is complete when blood no longer oozes when you tilt the test tube.
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3
Remove the rubber stopper from each test tube. Use a long Pasteur pipette to ring the clot -- i.e., separate it from the side of the test tube. This process is called ringing the clot. If the clot pulls free from the glass wall of the test tube when you invert it, you don't have to ring the clot. The liquid that remains is the serum.
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4
Transfer the serum into a centrifuge tube. The serum may contain some red blood cells and pieces of the clot.
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Follow the centrifuge manufacturer's directions. Centrifuge the specimen at 3,000 revolutions per minute for 10 minutes.
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Transfer the serum to storage bags using a Pasteur pipette. Store the bags at 20ºC. The antibodies will remain stable for many years.
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Tips & Warnings
Separate the serum from red blood cells within 1 hour after collection.
Do not shake the test tubes.
References
Resources
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