Roslin Cellab, a provider of stem cell research services to life sciences companies, has selected Biocision's Coolcell freezing container for cryopreservation of human embryonic stem cell lines.
The decision by Roslin Cellab, a subsidiary of the Roslin Foundation and sister company to Roslin Cells, comes after a comprehensive review of the Coolcell product line.
Coolcell will replace the organisation's conventional cryopreservation tools.
Roslin Cellab reported that it found the Biocision Coolcell to be easier and safer than the methods it used previously.
The company also reported that its cell lines were recovered with reproducibly higher viability yields post-thaw and that subsequent ongoing growth was improved.
This suggested that the Coolcell's freezing rate is more accurate than the isopropyl alcohol method, which is crucial if a cell line is to survive cryopreservation.
Roslin Cellab assists scientists and technologists with proof-of-concept research, with the goal of translating stem cell research into commercially viable technologies.
It supports collaborative research and provides a wide array of services for life sciences companies interested in engaging in stem cell research.
The organisation had been using a cell-freezing container that required the use of 100 per cent isopropyl alcohol for stepwise (-1C/min) cooling of cell lines in a -80C freezer.
This method required frequent changes of the isopropyl alcohol, which Biocision claims to be a cumbersome and expensive process that demands constant maintenance and yields variable results.
BioCision's Coolcell is suitable for cell lines, stem cells, PBMC, primary cells and yeast.
Designed with a patent-pending controlled-freezing technology, Coolcell is claimed to offer many advantages over alcohol-filled containers, including no maintenance, no ongoing cost and no hazardous waste.
In addition to the Coolcell products, Roslin Cellab is deploying Biocision's Thermaltray and Coolrack modules, which eliminate direct sample contact with ice, water or liquid nitrogen and enhance sterility procedures when handling vials for tissue-culture procedures.
The Thermaltray platforms and Coolrack modules provide a safe and reproducible option for snap-freezing.
The additional option of placing the modules in a 37C water bath aids the sterile thawing of cryovials and delivers consistant and reproducible thawing profiles.
According to Roslin Cellab, combination of controlled freezing with the Coolcell and controlled temperature for thawing greatly increases the reproducibility of the freeze-thaw process, with increased cell viability and cell growth post-thaw.
The company added that the Thermaltray and Coolrack would benefit the process of transferring frozen cell lines using a dry shipper between laboratories.
Transfer from the dry shipper to a tray can be achieved quickly without any thawing; the vials are maintained frozen in the tray while they are transferred to laboratory.
This also eliminates the transfer of the dry shipper into the tissue culture suite, which is a source of potential contamination.
