Do I have to treat fluorescent dye modified oligos differently in storage and handling?
If exposed to light, fluorescent dye modified oligos are more fragile than unmodified oligos and their fluorescence intensity will decrease over time. To maintain their fluorescence efficiency, fluorescent dye modified oligos should be stored in the dark at -20C. Since Cy3 and Cy5 can be decomposed at a pH above 9, they should not be stored under basic conditions.
