Shipping of plasmids and X-rays - (Apr/20/2004 )

Hi

I am sending some plasmid DNA overseas courier and I have been told that packages are routinely X-rayed. Do companies like FEDEX X-ray all biological samples, presumably all the samples that I have sent out in the past have been X-rayed! Now, from my undergraduate lectures, I can remember that ionizing radiation (X-rays) can induce double strand breaks in DNA. If this is the case, then would the 'damaged' plasmid DNA be repaired (religated?) after transformation into E.coli? I have often received plasmids from my collaborators overseas and I haven't detected any mutations. Anyone have any ideas or thought about this?

Why don't you just spot your plasmid on a filter paper and sent it as regular mail? Will regular mail get x-rayed? probably not .

Hula