Keeping Whole Blood in Tupperware

davidjgalloway · Oct 24, 2014

I have a character who has to keep a few ounces of whole blood in a tupperware container for a few days. I've read all the stuff about anticoagulants and such, but he has no access to any of that and the situation is one that arose suddenly, without planning. The blood has to stay liquid for this time. If it's in an airtight container and it's regularly mixed, is it going to solidfy in three days or will it stay liquid? He really has no access to anything but water that he could add to it. It could be refrigerated.

It's not a major plot point, but it's been bothering me a little that I don't know if it's even possible.

Thanks!
gallowayprof

Unimportant · Oct 24, 2014

gallowayprof said:
I have a character who has to keep a few ounces of whole blood in a tupperware container for a few days. I've read all the stuff about anticoagulants and such, but he has no access to any of that and the situation is one that arose suddenly, without planning. The blood has to stay liquid for this time. If it's in an airtight container and it's regularly mixed, is it going to solidfy in three days or will it stay liquid? He really has no access to anything but water that he could add to it. It could be refrigerated.

It's not a major plot point, but it's been bothering me a little that I don't know if it's even possible.

Thanks!
gallowayprof

No matter what container he puts it in or what temp he stores it at or how often he mixes it, it will coagulate within hours.

davidjgalloway · Oct 24, 2014

Thanks for the quick reply. I guess some anticoagulant is going to have to miraculously appear....

KarmaPolice · Oct 25, 2014

Well, there's always the chance he might be able to buy some anticoagulant from a dodgy online store - though that's the kind of thing he'd need to have on-hand before getting the blood...

Buffysquirrel · Oct 25, 2014

Maybe your character has a friend who keeps venomous snakes?

Marlys · Oct 25, 2014

Wouldn't he have vinegar on hand? That's what people use to keep pig's blood liquid when they save it for cooking. According to this, the ratio is one part vinegar to five parts blood.

Bolero · Oct 25, 2014

Just for completeness - is the blood ever going to be transfused back into a person? If yes, caution needed on the additives.

davidjgalloway · Oct 25, 2014

No, it's never going to be transfused. It's just for a magical ritual that (as of the moment) doesn't mandate it be pure, just liquid.

MagicWriter · Oct 25, 2014

Heparin will keep whole blood in liquid form. You will need to research how much heparin you will need for the amount of blood you have, and how your character will obtain the heparin. Container doesn't matter, but I'd use a jar before tupperware.

Also, if you don't need the red cells, you won't need an anticoagulant. Just have the character buy a centrifuge, spin it down and draw the serum off the top with an eye dropper.

rugcat · Oct 25, 2014

MagicWriter said:
Heparin will keep whole blood in liquid form. You will need to research how much heparin you will need for the amount of blood you have, and how your character will obtain the heparin. Container doesn't matter, but I'd use a jar before tupperware.

Also, if you don't need the red cells, you won't need an anticoagulant. Just have the character buy a centrifuge, spin it down and draw the serum off the top with an eye dropper.

A Mason jar is the perfect container. I actually once ran across someone who did exactly that. Long story.

Unimportant · Oct 25, 2014

Glass is a better choice of container.

Once the blood coagulates, the serum (liquid) will rise to the top and the clotted red blood cells will lump in the bottom if you let it sit for a few hours. If liquid serum is sufficient for the magic ritual, that's all you need. (And it's way easier to draw off/pour off the serum if it's in clear glass!)

Heparin isn't something most people have sitting around the house, but maybe sodium citrate would be a possibility if he's a cheesemaker?

davidjgalloway · Oct 25, 2014

Thanks, these are good ideas. So would a biologist or someone who works with blood on a scientific basis have easy access to anticoagulants? In the sense of you call them, and within 30 minutes they could get you some? Does it need to be locked up and regulated, or is it just sitting around in a typical lab?

As to using the serum, I did a quick search and it looks like DNA can be extracted from it, though whole blood is preferred. This is important because another character needs to have the blood contain something unique so that a person can be tracked by it. So just letting the rest clot may not be a dealbreaker.

Unimportant · Oct 25, 2014

gallowayprof said:
Thanks, these are good ideas. So would a biologist or someone who works with blood on a scientific basis have easy access to anticoagulants? In the sense of you call them, and within 30 minutes they could get you some? Does it need to be locked up and regulated, or is it just sitting around in a typical lab?

As to using the serum, I did a quick search and it looks like DNA can be extracted from it, though whole blood is preferred. This is important because another character needs to have the blood contain something unique so that a person can be tracked by it. So just letting the rest clot may not be a dealbreaker.

What volume of blood are we talking about?

Most labs will have vacutainers -- those 10 mL plastic/glass tubes with the coloured rubber tops that blood gets collected into. Many biology labs will have heparin or EDTA sitting around, but your bloke will need to have it before the blood ever gets drawn/taken.

DNA from serum -- I'd be very leery of that. Once all the cells clot, the serum contains nothing but liquid and proteins. The level of DNA will be very low, and it will be fragmented. If this is about getting DNA from the blood, never mind anticoagulants. Just have your bloke chuck some detergent into the blood.

MagicWriter · Oct 27, 2014

gallowayprof said:
In the sense of you call them, and within 30 minutes they could get you some? Does it need to be locked up and regulated, or is it just sitting around in a typical lab?

As to using the serum, I did a quick search and it looks like DNA can be extracted from it, though whole blood is preferred. This is important because another character needs to have the blood contain something unique so that a person can be tracked by it. So just letting the rest clot may not be a dealbreaker.

Red cells clot within a few minutes. By 30 minutes it will be solid. You need to have the anticoagulant on hand for it to be plausible if you want anti coagulated blood.

To extract DNA, you need nucleated cells. In blood samples that would be the white blood cells, (leukocytes).

Heparin is used in institutions and clinics, its an injection and kept in the pharmacy or a secured area monitored by a nurse and logged. In a research setting, someone would be responsible for tracking it. The main supply would be locked in an area conforming to regulations. The aliquots would be signed out by the person using them and by the person responsible for the main supply. This would also be documented for inspection.

Unimportant · Oct 27, 2014

MagicWriter said:
Heparin is used in institutions and clinics, its an injection and kept in the pharmacy or a secured area monitored by a nurse and logged. In a research setting, someone would be responsible for tracking it. The main supply would be locked in an area conforming to regulations. The aliquots would be signed out by the person using them and by the person responsible for the main supply. This would also be documented for inspection.

Heparin is also sold as a powder, which research lab staff will make into a solution that's used for cell culture. In that scenario, it won't be tracked or documented or locked up.

However, EDTA is a more common chemical in labs, and is an equally efficient anticoagulant for most purposes.

melindamusil · Oct 27, 2014

Unimportant said:
DNA from serum -- I'd be very leery of that. Once all the cells clot, the serum contains nothing but liquid and proteins. The level of DNA will be very low, and it will be fragmented. If this is about getting DNA from the blood, never mind anticoagulants. Just have your bloke chuck some detergent into the blood.

Fwiw- a few years ago, a friend's son did a middle school science project that involved extracting DNA using household chemicals. Probably something similar to Unimportant's link, although I don't remember the details. He got some major accolades for it, IIRC.

Becky Black · Oct 28, 2014

What about freezing it? I don't know if it would work, but if it was frozen while still liquid and then defrosted fairly quickly would it still be liquid, would the freezing stop the coagulation?

Unimportant · Oct 28, 2014

Becky Black said:
What about freezing it? I don't know if it would work, but if it was frozen while still liquid and then defrosted fairly quickly would it still be liquid, would the freezing stop the coagulation?

If you freeze it, all the cells will die and burst.

Keeping Whole Blood in Tupperware

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