cold chain
Frost-free freezers and why enzymes hate them
Frost-free freezers warm on purpose to clear ice. That thaw pulse is a poor home for enzymes and antibodies that need a steady setpoint.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
Topic cluster
Cold chain and sample storage
Fridge, freezer and dry-ice practice for research samples, including heat, humidity and shipment constraints.
All topicsBuffers and laboratory water26Cell culture26Chromatography26Cold chain and sample storage26Cytometry and microscopy26DNA sequencing26Gels and blotting26Gene expression26Genome editing26Immunoassays26Laboratory labware26Laboratory safety26Liquid handling26Microbiology26Molecular cloning26Nucleic acid purification26PCR and amplification26Protein biochemistry26Proteomics26Research sourcing and study design26
cold chainfreezerssamplesshippingdry iceenzymesaliquotscryostorageprocurementalarmslabelssafetyfrostinventoryloggersnucleic acids
26 articles
cold chain
Gel packs versus dry ice for a short trip
A short trip still needs the coolant the label names. Gel packs hold the setpoint they were conditioned to. Dry ice is a much colder window.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
cold chain
Hot climates and the last mile of a reagent shipment
The last mile is the handoff from depot to bench: a hot vehicle and a delayed receiver. Name the shipper, the coolant, and who reads the logger.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
cold chain
Inventory so a sample is not stored twice under two names
One sample needs one identity. Two names for one tube make a cohort look twice as large, or make the tube impossible to find.
8 October 2026 · 8 min read
cold chain
Labels that stay on at minus 80
Use a cryo-rated label and solvent-resistant ink, applied to a dry tube before it freezes. Paper labels let go when frost melts.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
cold chain
Planning aliquots before the first experiment
Before the first thaw, choose the one-use volume, the freeze-thaw count you will accept, the tube class, and the label.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
cold chain
Power cuts and a freezer alarm
A freezer alarm only helps if a written response names who is called, how long the door stays shut, and where the backup sits.
8 October 2026 · 9 min read
cold chain
Questions before a cold-storage enquiry
Write volume, temperature class, alarm, backup power, footprint, inventory format, and documents before you enquire. Leave price out.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read
cold chain
Receiving a warm parcel
A warm parcel stays out of inventory until you have named the shipper, the coolant, any excursion, and the chain of custody.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read
cold chain
Shipping documentation is a carrier and legal question
A courier slip is not a dangerous-goods declaration. Dry-ice paperwork is a carrier and institutional question, not a brochure approval.
8 October 2026 · 8 min read
Pillar · cold chain
Storing biological samples from fridge to freezer
Fridge, minus-20, minus-80 and nitrogen storage slow different kinds of damage. A warm box is a quarantine decision, not a hope.
8 October 2026 · 11 min read
cold chain
Troubleshooting a thawed freezer box
Ice and a label tell you only part of a warm box. Quarantine first, then use the product document and the assay control.
8 October 2026 · 10 min read