Is Off-Site Biospecimen Storage Right For Me?

1. Does our laboratory have the capital to invest in specimen storage units?

2. Does our laboratory have sufficient floor space to add additional specimen storage units for future projects?

3. Who in our laboratory is responsible for maintaining the specimen storage unit(s)?

4. How does our laboratory maintain the inventory of specimens inside our specimen storage units?

5. Who has access to our specimen storage units? Are our specimens stored securely or are they located in common areas of the building?

6. What is our backup plan for specimen storage unit failure or when a specimen storage unit is unable to maintain proper storage temperature?

7. Are our specimen storage units utilizing a remote monitoring system or data loggers with NIST certified calibrated sensors to ensure consistent and accurate temperature monitoring?

8. Do our research grants require temperature logs to ensure specimen integrity?

9. Does our laboratory store all specimens from a single collection in one specimen storage unit? Does doing so present a threat in the event of a specimen storage unit failure?