General description

• Formaldehyde (formalin) is an organic compound used for crosslinking proteins in biological samples such as tissue sections, culture cells, and whole specimens
• Formaldehyde is an intermediate in the combustion of methane and can exist in many forms
• It is a volatile, colorless liquid; that can be stored long-term in appropriate containers
• Comes stabilized in solution with methanol

Applications

• It May be used in pain research for induction of pain and inflammation
• Monomeric formaldehyde is formulated especially for laboratory applications
• Commonly used in RNA isolation as a denaturant