Ultra-Low freezers are critical to safeguarding samples from long-term studies, and a single unit can contain years or even decades of research. For this reason, healthcare facilities and research centers take great care of these irreplaceable samples.
Freezers Impacted by Superstorm Sandy
In the fall of 2012, a dramatic event took place that illustrates how important stored samples are to the researchers who study them. Superstorm Sandy, the most destructive hurricane of the season (and the second costliest in U.S. history), hit New York City. The Veterans Affairs New York Harbor Healthcare System, part of the NYU School of Medicine, lost power for an extended period of time, jeopardizing samples used in the development of HIV vaccines and in diagnostic tests for tuberculosis. The frozen samples included specimens that had been collected over a period of 25 years(1).
Heroic Efforts
Through their determination and heroic efforts, the researchers from this laboratory were able to save the samples. Since the elevator was out of service indefinitely, safeguarding the specimens involved multiple trips up and down 18 flights of stairs, making emergency arrangements for dry ice (and then carrying it all by hand up the stairs), and eventually moving all of the samples out of the building to alternate storage locations(1).
Protecting Precious Samples
The measures that were taken to save these specimens illustrate just how important they are to researchers and their work. Fortunately, the majority of the time natural disasters are not the most imminent threat to precious samples and other biological products. Unfortunately, cold storage equipment that is poorly designed, or unreliable, represents a constant, ongoing risk. A freezer failure puts precious samples in jeopardy, and if the failure is not detected in time, no amount of hard work and dedication can prevent them from being compromised.
To help researchers protect their valuable samples and improve peace of mind, Helmer Scientific offers the i.Series line of Ultra-Low Freezers. They are designed with the quality and reliability that sensitive samples require. One important aspect to the quality design of an Ultra-Low Freezer is its ability to prevent heat from entering the cabinet. Please watch our video to learn more about the Heat Barrier System, and contact Helmer Scientific for more information.
References:
(1) Zolia-Pazner, Ph. D., Susan. “Saving Specimens after Sandy.” New England Journal of Medicine. 2013. Web. 27 April 2016. <http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMp1303024>
