Storing sperm in Hanks' solution (10 days+)
Purchase salts and make premix:
Purchase Hanks' Balanced Salts without sodium bicarbonate or phenol red (SIGMA product number H1387; product information). Expires quickly, so reorder each year.
Dissolve dry salts from one jar in sterile distilled water to make 1L of solution (=premix). Store premix at 2-8 degrees C.
Make full Hanks' fresh just before using it:
Add 0.35 g sodium bicarbonate to 10 ml distilled water
Take 0.1 ml of this sodium bicarbonate solution and add to 9.9 ml premix
=full Hanks'
Storing sperm:
Dissect the testes and mince them with forceps in a small dish with a small amount of Hanks' solution (100-200 microlitres). Try to remove as much of the bits of tissue as possible. Transfer to an eppendorf tube and store in the fridge. No need to aerate or add glucose.