Researchers searching for an RNAlater alternative usually want one of three things: a lower landed cost, a reagent that ships and stores without a cold chain, or a supply that is available when the branded product is out of stock. This page lists the practical options for tissue RNA stabilization and how to evaluate them.
Your options, at a glance
- RNAfixer (CYRN15) — Changyu Bio. For labs that want ambient shipping, no liquid nitrogen, and one reagent family from stabilization through silica-column extraction. Holds samples about 1 week at 25°C or 1 month at 4°C; ships without ice packs. See the product page.
- RNAlater — Thermo Fisher. The reference reagent itself. For labs whose SOPs and published datasets already use RNAlater — switching reagents mid-study can break comparability.
- RNAprotect Tissue Reagent — QIAGEN. For labs already running QIAGEN system workflows with existing RNAprotect protocols.
- Snap freezing (liquid nitrogen / dry ice / −80°C). No reagent at all — works well, but the cold chain must be maintained from collection to extraction, which is the exact problem stabilization reagents solve.
Side-by-side comparison
| RNAfixer (CYRN15) | RNAlater (Thermo Fisher) | RNAprotect Tissue (QIAGEN) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Aqueous RNA stabilizer | Aqueous stabilization solution | Stabilization reagent |
| Hold at 25°C | Up to 1 week | Up to 1 week | Up to 7 days |
| Hold at 4°C | Up to 1 month | Up to 1 month | Up to 4 weeks |
| Tissue piece size | One side under 0.5 cm | ≤ 0.5 cm | ≤ 0.5 cm |
| Reagent volume | 5 vol tissue · 5–10 vol cells · 3 vol blood | ≥ 5 vol (per manual) | Per handbook |
| Liquid nitrogen required? | No | No | No |
| Ships | Ambient — no ice packs | Per label | Per handbook |
| Pack sizes | 50 ml (CYRN1501) · 100 ml (CYRN1502) | Various | Various |
RNAfixer details are from the CYRN15 manual. Competitor details are from each manufacturer’s public documentation and may change — confirm the current manual before writing SOPs.
How to evaluate an alternative
- Check the manual, not the marketing. Confirm storage times, tissue size limits, and volumes in the current manual of each candidate.
- Confirm downstream compatibility. RNAfixer-treated samples pair with Changyu Plus RNA Mini kits (CYRN28) and other silica-column protocols; RNAlater is documented with TRIzol, RNeasy, and other common methods.
- Run a matched pilot. Stabilize one split sample with your current reagent and one with the candidate, extract in parallel, and compare. For expression-level studies a pilot is essential — the CYRN15 manual does not make an RNA-seq claim, and no honest supplier will claim drop-in equivalence without your own data.
- Compare landed cost. Reagent price is only part of it — ambient shipping without ice packs can be the bigger saving for international orders.
Frequently asked questions
- Is RNAfixer a drop-in replacement for RNAlater? The immersion workflow is nearly identical — cut fresh tissue so one side is under 0.5 cm, immerse immediately, about 5 volumes of reagent. But “drop-in” should always be proven with a matched pilot on your sample type before adopting it for a full study.
- Can Changyu Bio supply RNAlater itself? Yes — we quote Thermo Fisher brand products alongside our own CYRN15 through verified China supply channels, so you can compare both on one quotation.
- Does RNAfixer need cold shipping? No. It ships ambient without ice packs and stores 12 months at 18–25°C.
- How much does RNAfixer cost compared to RNAlater? We do not publish list prices. Send quantities and destination — the quotation includes both options where relevant.
- Is this for clinical use? No. All products are Research Use Only (RUO). Not for diagnostic, therapeutic, or clinical use.
Request a quote
Request a quote · RNAfixer vs RNAlater comparison · What is RNA stabilization? · More lab guides
RNAfixer is a Changyu Bio product. RNAlater is a trademark of Thermo Fisher Scientific (Invitrogen); RNAprotect is a trademark of QIAGEN. Brand names identify catalog items only. All products are for Research Use Only (RUO) — not for diagnostic, therapeutic, or clinical use.