There's Still Time for Impact

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