How much thought have you given to the size of the tube you use for your samples? Or the size of your storage container? This guest blog post from Micronic highlights how carefully considering these simple choices can have a significant impact on your lab’s cold storage.
The validity of the data of a research project depends on the quality of samples. To prevent reductions in quality, strict standards for sample storage are needed. This is where the standardization of biobanking practices can be useful. But how should you standardize efficiently? Determine tube size Samples should be placed in tubes corresponding the volume of the sample. When sample volume has been estimated based on the research protocol, the next step is determining appropriate tube size. To increase storage efficiency and minimize sample loss, avoid excess volume inside the sample storage tube. Arrange tubes To increase long-term sample storage efficiency, evaluate how your tubes are arranged within storage containers. Placing tubes into well-organized, robust storage racks or boxes that comply with the ANSI/SLAS standards and then stacking these efficiently in aluminum freezer racks optimizes the number of samples that can be stored in a freezer or cryo tank. This saves space, enabling you to store more within the unit. Ensure traceability Each sample tube and storage rack should be coded to ensure that every sample is traceable at any given moment. A common way to code sample storage tubes and racks is with text and barcodes, most secure by etching with a laser. By scanning the barcode of each tube and rack, each sample can be easily registered or updated. The location and characteristics of a sample should be recorded carefully in a Laboratory Sample Management System so it can be found again when that sample is needed for further research. By scanning barcodes of samples as they leave the freezer, this ensures the absolute traceability of each sample. Special thanks again to Micronic for sharing this information with us! This guest blog post was written by Irina Choulguina, Marketing Specialist at Micronic As a reminder, the deadline for the Freezer Challenge is now July 1!
2 Comments
Though we paused the blog for the past few weeks, the International Laboratory Freezer Challenge is still ongoing...in fact, we extended the deadline to July 1, 2020! As of today there are two months left in which you can still take action with your lab's cold storage to improve energy efficiency and sample integrity, saving your lab time and money. Just be sure to get those scoresheets in by July 1.
We are thrilled with the enthusiasm and engagement we have received for the Freezer Challenge this year - over 90 organizations worldwide are participating. Thank you for being a part of this fun, competitive opportunity to address storage in your lab's refrigerators, freezers, and cold rooms. Many laboratories are now aiding the global effort to combat COVID-19. In case you haven't seen it, we wanted to share the CDC's Laboratory Biosafety and COVID-19 FAQ, which includes guidelines for sample storage of COVID-19: "Store specimens at 2-8 ºC for up to 72 hours after collection. If a delay occurs in extraction, store specimens at -70 ºC or lower. Store extracted nucleic acid samples at -70 ºC or lower." This aligns with our adage of "-70 really is the new -80 C"! It's wonderful to see the CDC's guidelines mirroring the recommendations of the Freezer Challenge. Be well! The Freezer Challenge is run by the non-profits My Green Lab and I2SL and is supported by our generous sponsors: Eppendorf, Stirling Ultracold, PHCbi, and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Photo by Immo Wegmann on Unsplash The deadline to submit score sheets for this year's Freezer Challenge has been extended to July 1, 2020. Stay safe & healthy. We look forward to celebrating the winners of the 2020 Freezer Challenge later this year. Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash If you’re curious about why your lab earns points for certain actions in the Freezer Challenge, we invite you to an upcoming webinar that will cover this and much more. Christina Greever of My Green Lab and Kathryn Ramirez-Aguilar of CU Boulder join forces to explain current cold storage best practices, and why these best practices benefit the environment and your wallet. Other benefits of efficient cold storage will also be discussed, such as improved resiliency, optimized use of freezer resources, and reduced infrastructure, space, and utility needs that lead to lower overhead costs. If you know of others who would like to learn more about the Freezer Challenge via webinar, please share this information with them too.
Example topics that this webinar will discuss:
Efficient Cold Sample Storage: Reducing the environmental footprint (and financial impact) of freezer user in research April 2nd at 11 AM PDT Sponsored by Brooks Life Sciences Cost is free Register on the LabRoots website In addition, there are just six weeks left of this year’s International Laboratory Freezer Challenge! Can you believe it? Now’s the time to dig out your score sheet and get started if you haven’t already. Haven't received your score sheet yet? Email us at info@mygreenlab.org to request it! Score sheets are sent out automatically, but sometimes they find their way into spam folders or can't find their way past firewalls, so don't hesitate to contact us if you need yours resent. Photo by Helloquence on Unsplash Have you heard of Marie Kondo, author of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and founder of the KonMari Method? She has made a name for herself helping others tidy their lives. Consider whether your laboratory's cold storage could benefit from some attention using the KonMari Method! We’re not suggesting that every scientific sample from your lab should “spark joy” in order to warrant you keeping it, but samples you do keep should still be useful, the containers should be legible, and someone in your lab should know what they are. Better yet, have an inventory of all samples stored in your lab! You can earn points for cleaning out samples and starting/updating inventories on the Freezer Challenge scoresheet.
If freezer boxes are perpetually working their way off shelves and threatening to drop on the floor, if you have to battle through several inches of ice to find what you’re looking for, or if it takes you 5+ minutes to find a particular sample you need, then perhaps it is time to put the KonMari Method to work in your laboratory! Find another refrigerator or freezer to use as swing space and get organizing! Haven't received your Freezer Challenge score sheet yet? Email us at info@mygreenlab.org to request it! Score sheets are sent out automatically, but sometimes they find their way into spam folders, and sometimes they can't seem to find their way past firewalls, so don't hesitate to contact us if you need yours resent. |
Archives
May 2021
Categories |