Mon Jan 12, 2015 4:07 pm by mleipold
The metal salts for polymer loading should not really have an expiration. We commonly use stocks that are a few years old.
The buffers should also have similar lifetimes, especially if unopened. About the only way they would really go "off" is if something started growing in them, which should be visible.
The polymer theoretically does have a lifetime, due to hydrolysis of the maleimide moiety (thereby making it unable to react with the thiol from your partially reduced antibody). However, since the polymer is supplied as a dried powder, in a sealed tube, in a sealed packet, shipped with dessicant, this should not be a substantial issue. Maybe Fluidigm can comment about whether they have any lifetime studies of old polymer....
-Mike