Learn more about GenVault’s short-term transportation solutions for biosamples
GenPlates offer several >unique advantages for transporting biosamples from one location to another. One of these advantages has been especially significant for one of our customers...
Dr. Jean-Claude Marshall, a PhD scientist at McGill University ran into a major road block during the course of this research work on ocular melanoma and ocular taxoplasmosis. In order to study ocular taxoplasmosis, samples needed to be collected in the field and brought back to the laboratory for analysis. However, because the samples were infected with the parasite toxoplasma gondii, customs agents refused transport of the whole blood sample in liquid form across international boundaries. However, because GenPlates have a unique property in that once a biospecimen comes in contact with the paper medium on which the samples reside, all associated pathogens are inactivated, leaving the biosample free of “biohazardous” labeling. By using GenPlates as a transport devices for the parasite infected biosamples, Dr. Marshall was able to continue with his important work on ocular taxoplasmosis.
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Moving an entire laboratory and setting up in a new location is a daunting task in and of itself. However, the task is even further compounded when one has to relocate an entire biosample collection. Dr. James Dutton of the University of Bath, UK had to deal with just this sort of situation when he relocated to University of Minnesota. Dr. Dutton managed to successfully transport his entire clone collection from the U.K. to the U.S. by spotting purified plasmid DNA onto GenPlates. Because the GenPlates store samples at room temperature, Dr. Dutton was able to save money in transport costs as well as optimize on space and volume. He has been recovering plasmid DNA from the GenPlates on an ‘as-needed’ basis. Thus, GenPlates have in effect served not only as transport devices, but also as a long-term back-up storage option for Dr. Dutton.