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

[Mariel Campbell]

Lucy, I second what Juan suggests. We use label material that can be
applied to cold vials (-80C and even -194C), and will adhere in liquid
nitrogen. We also use barcodes for object tracking as well as separate
labels with human readable text printed on this material. I'd be happy to
provide additional information if you wish to reach out personally.
Sincerely,

Mariel Campbell   (she/her)
Collection Manager, Division of Genomic Resources
Museum of Southwestern  Biology
1 University of New Mexico
MSC03 2020
Albuquerque, NM 87131
campmlc at unm.edu

On Thu, Sep 18, 2025 at 2:13 PM Juan Munoz <juan at eiminc.com> wrote:

> 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   *
>
>
>
>
>
> *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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