[Nhcoll-l] Best practice in storing and labelling DNA extracts and tissue samples

[Bentley, Andrew Charles]

Hi Nkosinathi

Hope all is well at SAIAB (my old stomping ground).  I would direct you to the SPNHC best practices wiki page on Genetic Resources for the most comprehensive best practices on tissue collections - https://spnhc.biowikifarm.net/wiki/Genetic_Resources.  There is a wealth of information here that should help.
In general in response to your request for info on storing and labeling I have always steered clear of putting labels into cryo tubes for fear of contamination and rely instead on cryo labels affixed to the outside of the cryotubes.  There are great labels available that will stick to already frozen tubes and include barcodes and human-readable numbers.  It would be ideal to have unique catalog numbers associated with each tissue but I realize that this is sometimes just not possible with a collection that large.  I would also encourage you to titrate off all ethanol in the collection as exposure to ethanol will slowly degrade the tissue quality at -80 temperatures.  We maintain all of our tissues dry in cryogenic dewars with all liquid (ethanol, DMSO, RNA Later) having been poured off before final storage.
Hope that helps.  Happy to answer any other specific questions you may have.
Andy
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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
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Fax: (785) 864-5335<tel:%28785%29%20864-5335>
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3093-1258
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu/>
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From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Nkosinathi Mazungula
Sent: Wednesday, June 1, 2022 5:00 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Best practice in storing and labelling DNA extracts and tissue samples

Dear Colleagues
My Name is Nkosinathi Mazungula, Collections Manager at the South African Institute for Aquatic Biodiversity (SAIAB). In our Biobank we have about 100 000 tissue samples (99.9% ethanol) and DNA extracts stored altogether stored in -80 freezers. Each tissue sample has a label with the tube number inside and every DNA extract has a sticker with a number outside the tube. These numbers are not always unique but be that as it may, these samples have unique freezer locations and are linked to Collection objects in the Specify database.  In the quest to improve how we store and label DNA extracts and tissue samples, I am curious to find out from colleagues who have Biobanks in their museums as what they consider to be best practice.
Your advice on this will be much appreciated.
Best regards,
Nkosinathi



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Nkosinathi Mazungula
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