Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?

[lechristophe]

Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France

[Michael Schell]

I've transported hippocampal neurons about half an hour away, but I never tried longer.  To maximize your chances of success:

1.  The best plan is to transport them between 3 and 7 days after plating, before they become synaptically mature.  If you can bring them to the imaging location during that time and allow them to recover in an incubator for a day or longer, that's the best solution.

2.  Add Hepes pH 7.2 to a final concentration of 10-20 mM to each dish to be transported.  Then, seal the culture dishes with parafilm and place them stacked in a styrofoam box for transport.  Drive carefully.

3.  Your neurons will survive best if you can raise the MgCl concentration in the medium up to 10 mM just before transport.  This will greatly reduce deadly calcium influx.  However, this maneuver might not be compatible with your experiment, since cultured hippocampal neurons require conditioned medium to survive (you cannot just change out of the Hi Mg medium into fresh medium once you get to the imaging destination; having extra conditioned medium available at the destination might circumvent this problem).  

Good luck,
Mike




Michael J. Schell, Ph.D., CIV, USUHS
Assist. Professor
Dept. of Pharmacology
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
Bethesda, MD  20814-3220
tel:  [phone]
[hidden email]
>>> Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]> 02/04/09 5:48 PM >>>
Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France

[Pablo German]

Hi Christophe,

 

I've been trying to transport HEK293 cell cultures but they were not making it in good condition. I've been advised to use a carbonated buffer such as Hanks' solution (HBSS). I haven't tried it yet though. I'm as interested as you are to see what solutions are possible.

 

Regards,

Pablo

2009/2/5 Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]>

Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France

--
Pablo German

Plant and Food Research
Private Bag 92169
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
DDI: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

[Jenni Poole]

Hi Christophe,

There are portable incubators available that would work for the type of
transport you are searching for.  Minitube of America offers such a device.
With the following link you can find additional information.
http://www.minitube.com/catalog_items.asp?ProdGrp_ID=173&Cat_ID=4

This device would definitely work for your short transport.  It even has a
cord that can connect in a car or once charged it can be shipped UPS/FedEx
Next Day Air to another location.  The portable incubator was originally
designed for embryo transport.    

Let me know if you would like additional information.  

Thanks,

Jenni Poole
 
Sales
Penetrating Innovations LLC
ibidi LLC
Minitube of America
419  Venture Ct.
Verona, WI 53593
Phone [phone]
Fax [phone]
[hidden email]
www.pi-ivf.com
www.ibidi.com
www.minitube.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]] On
Behalf Of Christophe Leterrier
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 4:37 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?

Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France

[Phillips, Thomas E.]

I have never transported hippocampal neurons but have shipped growing
cells internationally on many occasions so we are taking 1-3 days in
transit. You want to avoid sloshing that would either temporarily dry
them out or physically beat on them like waves hitting the shore. I fill
my flasks to the very tip top and seal tightly. This won't work for
cells on coverslips or multiwells but  should if they are in flasks. I
agree Hepes buffer is needed.  

Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D
Professor of Biological Sciences
Chair, MU Faculty Council
Director, Molecular Cytology Core
2 Tucker Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211-7400
573-882-4712 (office)
573-882-0123 (fax)
[hidden email]

http://www.biology.missouri.edu/faculty/phillips.html
http://www.biotech.missouri.edu/mcc/


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[hidden email]]
On Behalf Of Michael Schell
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 5:01 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?

I've transported hippocampal neurons about half an hour away, but I
never tried longer.  To maximize your chances of success:

1.  The best plan is to transport them between 3 and 7 days after
plating, before they become synaptically mature.  If you can bring them
to the imaging location during that time and allow them to recover in an
incubator for a day or longer, that's the best solution.

2.  Add Hepes pH 7.2 to a final concentration of 10-20 mM to each dish
to be transported.  Then, seal the culture dishes with parafilm and
place them stacked in a styrofoam box for transport.  Drive carefully.

3.  Your neurons will survive best if you can raise the MgCl
concentration in the medium up to 10 mM just before transport.  This
will greatly reduce deadly calcium influx.  However, this maneuver might
not be compatible with your experiment, since cultured hippocampal
neurons require conditioned medium to survive (you cannot just change
out of the Hi Mg medium into fresh medium once you get to the imaging
destination; having extra conditioned medium available at the
destination might circumvent this problem).  

Good luck,
Mike




Michael J. Schell, Ph.D., CIV, USUHS
Assist. Professor
Dept. of Pharmacology
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
Bethesda, MD  20814-3220
tel:  [phone]
[hidden email]
>>> Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]> 02/04/09 5:48
PM >>>
Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France

[Sylvie Le Guyader-2]

Hi Christophe

I think that's no problem. You need to seed them in a flask with air tight
lid (not with filter) and fill the flask with fresh and pre-warmed/pre-CO2
balanced medium. Keep it in the incubator until you leave then use anything
to prevent the temperature from falling too fast (eg a good outdoor jacket).

Med vänlig hälsning / Best regards
 
Sylvie
 
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Sylvie Le Guyader
Dept of Biosciences and Nutrition
Karolinska Institutet
Novum
14157 Huddinge
Sweden
[phone]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Confocal Microscopy List
> [mailto:[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Christophe
> Leterrier
> Sent: 04 February 2009 23:37
> To: [hidden email]
> Subject: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?
>
> Dear imaging specialists,
>
> I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
> hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
> lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
> away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
> such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
> low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
> suggestions.
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Christophe Leterrier
> Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
> UMR641 - Marseille, France

[RICHARD BURRY]

Do not for get mechanical damage!  Media sloshing back and for will tear the cells off the substrate.  It is best to fill the chamber completely (no air bubbles) with media before transport.  This extra media also serves to keep the temperature more stable.
Also it is best to transport the culture a day before use so the cells can get settled down again.
 
Dick
 
Richard W. Burry, Ph.D.
Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine
Campus Microscopy and Imaging Facility, Director
The Ohio State University
Associate Editor, Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
277 Biomedical Research Tower
460 West Twelfth Avenue
Columbus, Ohio 43210
Voice 614.292.2814  Cell 614.638.3345  Fax [phone]

----- Original Message -----
From: Michael Schell <[hidden email]>
Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 6:01 pm
Subject: Re: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?
To: [hidden email]

> I've transported hippocampal neurons about half an hour away,
> but I never tried longer.  To maximize your chances of success:
>
> 1.  The best plan is to transport them between 3 and 7 days
> after plating, before they become synaptically mature.  If
> you can bring them to the imaging location during that time and
> allow them to recover in an incubator for a day or longer,
> that's the best solution.
>
> 2.  Add Hepes pH 7.2 to a final concentration of 10-20 mM
> to each dish to be transported.  Then, seal the culture
> dishes with parafilm and place them stacked in a styrofoam box
> for transport.  Drive carefully.
>
> 3.  Your neurons will survive best if you can raise the
> MgCl concentration in the medium up to 10 mM just before
> transport.  This will greatly reduce deadly calcium
> influx.  However, this maneuver might not be compatible
> with your experiment, since cultured hippocampal neurons require
> conditioned medium to survive (you cannot just change out of the
> Hi Mg medium into fresh medium once you get to the imaging
> destination; having extra conditioned medium available at the
> destination might circumvent this problem). 
>
> Good luck,
> Mike
>
>
>
>
> Michael J. Schell, Ph.D., CIV, USUHS
> Assist. Professor
> Dept. of Pharmacology
> Uniformed Services University
> 4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
> Bethesda, MD  20814-3220
> tel:  [phone]
> [hidden email]
> >>> Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]>
> 02/04/09 5:48 PM >>>
> Dear imaging specialists,
>
> I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
> hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
> lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
> away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the
> web. Do
> such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
> low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
> suggestions.
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Christophe Leterrier
> Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
> UMR641 - Marseille, France
>
>
> --
> BEGIN-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS
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> Teach CanIt if this mail (ID 797471698) is spam:
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[Carol Heckman]

Hi Christophe-
One of my students adapted a little cooler meant for carrying drinks to this purpose.  He made a little holder, just big enough for the 60-mm petri dish, and attached it to a plate that matched the dimensions of the inner lining.  Then he filled the cooler with sand, put it in a 60 degree oven (Centigrade) and brought it out just before loading the culture dishes for transport.  By carefully adjusting the composition of the plate, he could get the temperature on the plate to exactly 36-38 degrees, which the cells tolerated fine.  Our cells did not like to cool down, but they didn't mind the pH going high.  He just transported them in the dishes and medium they were already sitting in.  He allowed them 2 hours in the incubator on the other end, to equilibrate the pH, and they were ready to go.  They would stand an hour of transport in the carrier.
carol
Center for Microscopy & Microanalysis
Bowling Green State University
________________________________________
From: Confocal Microscopy List [[hidden email]] On Behalf Of Pablo German [[hidden email]]
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 6:00 PM
To: [hidden email]
Subject: Re: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?

Hi Christophe,

I've been trying to transport HEK293 cell cultures but they were not making it in good condition. I've been advised to use a carbonated buffer such as Hanks' solution (HBSS). I haven't tried it yet though. I'm as interested as you are to see what solutions are possible.

Regards,
Pablo

2009/2/5 Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]<mailto:[hidden email]>>
Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France



--
Pablo German

Plant and Food Research
Private Bag 92169
Auckland Mail Centre
Auckland 1142
New Zealand
DDI: [phone]
Mobile: [phone]

[Patrick Van Oostveldt]

Dear,

We tested these conditions and the effect of vibration on different  
cell cultures.
The results of these experiments were published in acta astronautica,  
because it was a simulation of the launching conditions of the space  
shuttle.
Baert P., Van Cleynenbreugel T., Vandesompele J., De Schynkel S.,  
Vander Sloten J., Van Oostveldt P.: The potential (radio-)biological  
impact of launch vibration. Acta Astronautica. 58, 456-463 (2006)
If you like to have a reprint, please send a personal mail.

Patrick Van Oostveldt

Quoting RICHARD BURRY <[hidden email]>:

> Do not for get mechanical damage!  Media sloshing back and for will
> tear the cells off the substrate.  It is best to fill the chamber
> completely (no air bubbles) with media before transport.  This extra
> media also serves to keep the temperature more stable.
> Also it is best to transport the culture a day before use so the
> cells can get settled down again.
>
> Dick
>
> Richard W. Burry, Ph.D.
> Department of Neuroscience, College of Medicine
> Campus Microscopy and Imaging Facility, Director
> The Ohio State University
> Associate Editor, Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry
> 277 Biomedical Research Tower
> 460 West Twelfth Avenue
> Columbus, Ohio 43210
> Voice 614.292.2814  Cell 614.638.3345  Fax [phone]
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Michael Schell <[hidden email]>
> Date: Wednesday, February 4, 2009 6:01 pm
> Subject: Re: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?
> To: [hidden email]
>
>> I've transported hippocampal neurons about half an hour away,
>> but I never tried longer.  To maximize your chances of success:
>>
>> 1.  The best plan is to transport them between 3 and 7 days
>> after plating, before they become synaptically mature.  If
>> you can bring them to the imaging location during that time and
>> allow them to recover in an incubator for a day or longer,
>> that's the best solution.
>>
>> 2.  Add Hepes pH 7.2 to a final concentration of 10-20 mM
>> to each dish to be transported.  Then, seal the culture
>> dishes with parafilm and place them stacked in a styrofoam box
>> for transport.  Drive carefully.
>>
>> 3.  Your neurons will survive best if you can raise the
>> MgCl concentration in the medium up to 10 mM just before
>> transport.  This will greatly reduce deadly calcium
>> influx.  However, this maneuver might not be compatible
>> with your experiment, since cultured hippocampal neurons require
>> conditioned medium to survive (you cannot just change out of the
>> Hi Mg medium into fresh medium once you get to the imaging
>> destination; having extra conditioned medium available at the
>> destination might circumvent this problem).
>>
>> Good luck,
>> Mike
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> Michael J. Schell, Ph.D., CIV, USUHS
>> Assist. Professor
>> Dept. of Pharmacology
>> Uniformed Services University
>> 4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
>> Bethesda, MD  20814-3220
>> tel:  [phone]
>> [hidden email]
>> >>> Christophe Leterrier <[hidden email]>
>> 02/04/09 5:48 PM >>>
>> Dear imaging specialists,
>>
>> I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
>> hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
>> lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
>> away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the
>> web. Do
>> such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
>> low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
>> suggestions.
>>
>> Thanks a lot,
>>
>> Christophe Leterrier
>> Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
>> UMR641 - Marseille, France
>>
>>
>> --
>> BEGIN-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS
>> ------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Teach CanIt if this mail (ID 797471698) is spam:
>> Spam:
>> https://antispam.osu.edu/b.php?c=s&i=797471698&m=17bf03a7c26bNot
>> spam:
> https://antispam.osu.edu/b.php?c=n&i=797471698&m=17bf03a7c26b
>> Forget vote:
>> https://antispam.osu.edu/b.php?c=f&i=797471698&m=17bf03a7c26b----
>> --------------------------------------------------
>> END-ANTISPAM-VOTING-LINKS
>>
>
>

--
Dep. Moleculaire Biotechnologie
Coupure links 653
B 9000 GENT

tel [phone]
fax [phone]

[Lesley Weston]

A visiting scientist once kept a fibroblast culture alive during a  
long trip from our lab to his home country. He completely filled with  
medium two flasks containing confluent attached cultures of cells ,  
then carried them in the inside pockets of his jacket, which he wore  
the whole time. It worked, the cells were fine, but I don't know what  
he did about airport security.

Lesley Weston.


On 4-Feb-09, at 2:37 PM, Christophe Leterrier wrote:

> Dear imaging specialists,
>
> I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
> hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
> lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
> away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
> such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
> low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
> suggestions.
>
> Thanks a lot,
>
> Christophe Leterrier
> Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
> UMR641 - Marseille, France

[Jerry Sedgewick-2]

The University of South Carolina School of Medicine will again be
hosting a Basic Confocal Microscopy Workshop. This year’s workshop will
be from June 15-19, 2009 and will include a series of lectures on the
theory and applications of confocal microscopy, specimen preparation,
processing confocal images in Photoshop, and 3D reconstructions using
AMIRA. Students will be able to process triple labeled samples (cell
cultures and sections) on site or bring their own samples to the workshop.

Faculty will include Drs. Jay Jerome (Vanderbilt), Ralph Albrecht (Univ
Wisconsin-Madison), John Mackenzie (North Carolina State Univ), Tom
TrusK (Medical Univ South Carolina) and myself. Instruments and
applications experts from Leica, Nikon, Olympus, Perkin Elmer,
Photometrics, and Zeiss are expected to be available for hands on
training and imaging of samples.

Please register early as the last 4 workshops have been overbooked.
Deadline for registration is June 1 as long as slots are available.

For further information and registration go to:
http://dba.med.sc.edu/irf/price/irf/irf.htm or contact Anna McNeal
([hidden email] <mailto:[hidden email]>)

Bob

Bob Price

Research Professor

Dept Cell Biol and Anat

USC School of Medicine

6439 Garner's Ferry Road

Columbia, SC 29208

Tel: [phone]

Admin Tel: [phone]

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