how to ship tissue slides? - (Nov/24/2006 )
Hello everybody. I wanted to ask for some help regarding tissue slide shipping. I currently have some fixed frozen tissue sections that I cut with a freezing microtome. The animals were fixed before dissection with 4% PFA. The sections are currently stored in TBS with antifreeze (sucrose, sodium azide and ethylene glycol) and stored at -20C. I normally mount the sections on superfrost glass slides and let them dry for at least 2-3 hours and then I proceed to block them and stain them by immunofluorescence. I need to go to another lab in another country but need to finish the project. Is it possible to ship the sections mounted on glass slides? If so, should this be done at RT, ice or dry ice? Or do you think it is possible to ship the section plates with antifreeze solution? Again, should this be done at RT, with ice or dry ice? Please I need to send everything in 10 days maximum. Your help will be very much appreciated. You can also contact me on: mexemi@yahoo.it
Emiliano
Emiliano
I think your solution will suppress bacteria growth due to NaN3 even at RT. However, I would suggest that you put slides in a plastic rack and shipped it on ice, assuming ice does melt by the time the package arrives to your collaborators. You need to test if the antifreeze (you meant antifade, maybe?) drop off and coverslip move downwards over time if the slides are placed in its vertical position. If so, you may need to seal it with something and put them in horizontal position and mark the box very clearly what potition it should be during shipping.