CORIS at 2020 ABRF Meeting: Empowering Team Science

Disaster preparedness to maintain sample and reagent integrity

Freezers and LN2 tanks at biomolecular facilities often store irreplaceable samples and expensive reagents that must be maintained at the correct storage conditions. Temperature excursions from the recommended storage conditions may cause sample degradation and reduced reagent activity, making them unusable. Implementing a disaster preparedness plan including a robust monitoring system reduces the risk of losing samples and reagents due to natural disaster, HVAC malfunction, freezer/Dewar failure, and power loss. Cold storage devices should be located in secure locations which are unlikely to be affected by naturally occurring events including flooding or hurricanes. Freezers are designed to operate in a specific temperature range and monitoring the room temperature will reduce the likelihood of devices operating outside of the recommended temperature range due to HVAC failures. Optimally, freezers and the monitoring system will be connected to a reliable emergency power system. Battery backup systems are available for cold storage devices and the monitoring system. Power loss can be mitigated with dry ice or a CO_2/LN2 backup system. Access to the appropriate number of backup freezers or LN2 Dewars ensures uninterrupted storage at the correct temperature when the primary storage device is inoperable. Continuous monitoring of temperature, power, and network functionality is critical to ensure the cold storage devices are operating correctly and that active alarms receive the appropriate attention. An institutional network can be augmented with additional communication devices  providing an alternate path for reporting and alert notifications. Losing irreplaceable samples and reagents can be devastating. Advanced planning for natural disasters, equipment failures, and power outages enables a fast, streamlined response and ensures the integrity of samples and reagents.