[NHCOLL-L:4327] RE: cryo- and ethanol vial marking pens needed

Fri May 22 10:31:01 EDT 2009

Hi Carol

We went through a similar trial and error with pens and could not find anything that worked across all environments (ethanol, -80 and liquid nitrogen) and actually found that the best thing was an HB pencil!!!

We have now gone across to a hand held, battery operated (or AC) Brady Labpal unit:

http://www.bradyid.com/bradyid/pfv/100453%2B4294966631/BRADYID_US_LABPAL/Laboratory/Labels/LABPAL-Labeling-Tool/Products.html

The unit is very portable and can be used in the field too.  They sell a large range of labeling media for this which includes media that will withstand liquid nitrogen, -80 and ethanol:

http://www.bradyid.com/bradyid/pbv/100777%2B4294966631%2B4294924875/280050/0/~0/~0/~0/Laboratory/Labels/Laboratory-Labels.html

They also sell continuous feed versions of the Labpal cartridges that can be used in a thermal transfer printer.  We have been very happy with this system and although all our tissue are presently in -80 we will also hopefully be changing across to liquid nitrogen in the future (NSF willing).

Hope that helps.  If you have any further questions, let me know...

Andy

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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager/Specify Usability Lead
University of Kansas
Natural History Museum & Biodiversity Research Center
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863
Fax: (785) 864-5335
Email: ABentley at ku.edu       

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________________________________

From: owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu [mailto:owner-nhcoll-l at lists.yale.edu] On Behalf Of Carol Spencer
Sent: Thursday, May 21, 2009 3:56 PM
To: NHCOLL-L at lists.yale.edu
Subject: [NHCOLL-L:4325] cryo- and ethanol vial marking pens needed

Dear NHColl Members,

Here at MVZ we have used a number of different pens for marking cryovials in the field. Sometimes these pens are also used for marking vials that have ethanol tissues, plus we often subsample cryovial tissues into ethanol tubes for sending off for loans.

Recently we have tried many different pens, and have not found one that meets our needs. These are the characteristics we need 1) Does not come off with 95% ethanol after the ink is dry, 2) Does not come off tubes after they have been frozen and are covered in frost (when the frost is rubbed off) and, 3) Does not come off when writing on them while prepping oily birds or mammals (that latter is not quite as important but is still a consideration for us) or with lysis buffer.

I was wondering if anyone has a pen they prefer that meets all or most of these required characteristics?  Also we are switching our entire collection of -80C tissues to liquid nitrogen, so the ink must stay on in liquid nitrogen conditions also (plus we use liquid nitrogen in the field for flash freezing tissues in dewars).

Here is the list of pens that we have previously used, with notes from Ted Papenfuss on why they are not ideal: (These are the ones that do not work.)

	VWR- new black ink formula is not ethanol proof (old formula was but they are no longer making it). Old style was good for many years, but new style no good. New style has blue writing on the side of the pen.

	MoistMark Plus - ink does not stick if tube is oily from people's fingers who have been skinning birds and mammals.  We found this out in Guatemala. Also, the ink does not last long.  Only good for 100 tubes or so. And lysis buffer dissolves the ink.

	Fisher Brand- not ethanol proof

	Securline- does not adhere will to tube.  Ink comes off if frozen tubes are stuck together, or frozen and stuck to surface of freezer, or are shaken around in a nitrogen tank. 

    Sharpie Industrial Marker - comes off with 95% ethanol.

Obviously one solution is to etch the outside of the tubes or include a paper label inside, but it can be difficult for curatorial assistants to read tubes when doing subsampling.

Cheers
Carol Spencer

-- 
Carol L. Spencer
Staff Curator of Herpetology & HerpNET Coordinator
Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
3101 Valley Life Sciences Building
University of California, Berkeley, CA, USA 94720-3160
atrox10 at gmail.com
atrox at berkeley.edu
TEL: 510-643-5778 /FAX: 510-643-8238

http://www.herpnet.org
http://mvz.berkeley.edu/

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