[Nhcoll-l] Tissue storage inventory, organization and labelling

[Juan Munoz]

Hi Lucy,

As a representative of a label supplier to the cryogenic storage space, I will keep my response ethical in this forum (avoiding solicitation) and only speak about what to consider when choosing a label material.


  *   Will you and your team be labeling tubes that are already frozen? If so, you may want to choose a label that performs far lower than -80°C (and even those can have a difficult time bonding to a frozen surface that's building frost during the relabeling process)
  *   What type of printer will you be using? Thermal transfer is popular as they are able to print small barcodes. The thermal ribbon would need to be compatible with the label's face-stock and with the right combination, the print is highly durable and can resist most preservation fluids.

Those two items are the biggest things to consider. Hope this helps.

Regards,
Juan Munoz
Director of Technical Solutions | Electronic Imaging Materials, Inc.
barcode-labels.com<http://www.barcode-labels.com/> | 20 Forge St. | Keene, NH  03431 | 603.283.9638

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From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Lucy Smith
Sent: Thursday, September 18, 2025 3:47 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] Tissue storage inventory, organization and labelling

Hello,

I am currently embarking on the task of undertaking a complete inventory of the New Brunswick Museum's zoology tissue and DNA extraction collection stored at -80°C. The end goal of this will be to get every sample correctly and reliably labelled, and to incorporate a barcode-ready organization system.

For the labels, we have tried several brands of marker and label sticker options and have yet to find anything that does not eventually peel or wipe off when exposed to condensation or preservation solution. Ideally, we want to move away from hand-writing our labels to printing. We have historically sought out cold-storage options as opposed to true cryopreservation labels which offer a far lower freezing point. Are these worth the cost for those with experience, or are self-laminating labels a better option?

I am currently finding an overwhelming amount of information to sift through preparing for this project and at this point would appreciate any guidance to help direct my research. If anyone has undertaken a similar project, or dealt with the same label issues, I would welcome tips, resources, or links to any standards of practice I might not be aware of.

Thank you!

Cheers,

Lucy L. Smith
Curatorial Assistant, Invertebrates
Imaging Lab Technician
Department of Natural History
New Brunswick Museum | Musée du Nouveau Brunswick
(506) 607-5241

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