Current Chemical Genomics and Translational Medicine

2009, 3 : 50-53
Published online 2009 December 16. DOI: 10.2174/1875397300903010050
Publisher ID: CCGTM-3-50

RESEARCH ARTICLE
 An Agarose-Gel Based Method for Transporting Cell Lines

Lingzhi Yang 1,2 , Chufang Li1 , Ling Chen1,2 and Zhiyuan Li, *,1,2
1 State Key Laboratory of Respiratory Diseases, Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences (GIBH), Guangzhou 510663, China
2 College of Life Science, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), Hefei 230027, China

* Address correspondence to this author at the Guangzhou Institute of Biomedicine and Health, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou International Business Incubator, Guangzhou Science Park, 510663, China; Tel: 20-32293266; Fax: 20-32290606; E-mail: li_zhiyuan@gibh.ac.cn

ABSTRACT

Cryopreserved cells stored in dry ice or liquid nitrogen is the classical method for transporting cells between research laboratories in different cities around the world in order to maintain cell viability. An alternative method is to ship the live cells in flasks filled with cell culture medium. Both methods have limitations of either a requirement on special shipping container or short times for the cells to survive on the shipping process. We have recently developed an agarose gel based method for directly transporting the live adherent cells in cell culture plates or dishes in ambient temperature. This convenient method simplifies the transportation of live cells in long distance that can maintain cells in good viability for several days.

Keywords:

Cell transportation, cell shipment, live cell shipment, agarose gel, agarose gel based cell preservation, cryopreserved cells.