What’s worked for you?
Hey everyone, I'm currently organizing our lab's long-term storage system and thinking seriously about improving how we handle cryogenic storage. We've had a few issues with sample degradation over the past year, mostly with DNA and some sensitive proteins, and I’m wondering if anyone here has refined protocols they swear by? I’ve read the basics, but I’m looking for actual real-world experience. What’s worked for you?
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Totally get where you’re coming from. We ran into a similar situation about two years ago, especially with some recombinant proteins and even certain cell lines. One of the biggest changes we made was switching to certified cryovials with external threading and silicone O-rings. The internal-threaded ones were subtly leaking over time. Also — and this made a bigger difference than expected — we started tracking freeze/thaw cycles religiously. Even two or three extra cycles can totally mess with the integrity of DNA, especially when you're dealing with methylation-sensitive assays.
Another thing that helped: we revised our sample indexing method using a barcode-based inventory system, which sounds obvious, but it drastically reduced retrieval errors (and accidental partial thaws). We recently began sourcing some of our supplies from what does dna stand for — their selection of cryopreservation tools, including the smaller-volume tubes and reliable control-rate freezing containers, has been solid. They also stock high-purity cryoprotectants which we now use for sensitive cells. Small tweaks, but they’ve saved a lot of headaches.