by Grace Prem, Product Manager, BioLife Solutions
Variety packs have become a big trend in today’s world of beverages, snacks and other products that offer multiple options, and there is a good reason for this. For example, they take up much less space and may be customized to one's own preferences. The idea behind variety packs can go beyond just beverages or food; with ultra-low temperature (ULT) freezers, variety packs in the form of rack configurators can be the answer to space savings, customization and organizational needs.
Preserving biological samples at ultra-low storage temperatures is critical to preserving their integrity and keeping them viable for research success. Depending on the type of storage equipment used, a laboratory and the interior of a laboratory-grade freezer could have a temperature difference between 100 and nearly 250 degrees ΔT. Configurable freezer racking systems with rack etching or labeling help optimize and more effectively manage samples while keeping them preserved within their required temperature range.
Freezer racking systems are storage inventory systems within ULT and LN2 freezers that streamline the organization of biological vials and samples. Freezer racks are composed of multiple drawers or stainless-steel shelf supports, with sample compartments that partition the freezer and effectively organize freezer materials. The benefits of freezer racks are evidently widespread and far-reaching. Let’s take a deeper look at some of these benefits.
Space Optimization
The capacity of available storage space can be utilized to its full potential when using a custom racking configuration. Labs can mix and match an assortment of samples and organize them in such a way that extra samples are unlikely to be discarded and wasted, while making the most of the freezer space. As a best practice, when selecting a freezer, organizations should choose a freezer racking system designed specifically for their use case in order to maximize freezer storage capacity. For instance, lab managers who are using an upright freezer and would like to store standard two-inch sample boxes can maximize their freezer’s capacity by leveraging a high-density storage system that can hold hundreds of additional two-inch boxes, in the same amount of freezer space.
Time Savings
By managing samples with a racking system, organizations can not only take full advantage of the storage capacity within the laboratory floor space or freezer unit, but they can also efficiently organize their samples to avoid misplacing or forgetting them, or struggling to find them when the freezer door is open and samples are exposed. Remember, there is often a large ΔT between the laboratory working environment (ambient) and the inside of a ultracold freezer. By using a racking system, organizations can reduce frustration, risk and the loss of critical samples.
To maximize time savings, there are several best practices lab managers should follow. First, organizations should know how many boxes they need, the type of sample containers they will be storing and what they might need as their samples increase. Lab managers should also know how different materials impact the way the freezer would be arranged. For instance, while three-inch storage boxes can hold around 120 vials, large tissues might require a full freezer shelf dedicated to their storage. By grouping similar materials together, lab managers can make their storage organization more efficient and save time in the end.
Once they have determined how much storage space their materials will require, lab managers should organize each sample in a way that they can quickly and easily identify samples, such as with colored storage boxes or labels. Some freezer providers even etch freezer rack orders before they leave the warehouse if the organization requests it.
Energy Usage Savings
While most may not think about this, freezer racking systems also improve a lab’s energy efficiency with calculable energy savings per sample. Replacing old, compressor-based ULT freezers with newer ENERGY STAR® rated freezers has become all the rage for laboratories trying to limit operational carbon footprint, but may be only part of the picture. The freezer racks chosen, combined with the individual freezer’s capacity, and the ability to maximize the number of samples stored within the freezer, has the potential of limiting how much freezer space is even required. This calculation and reorganization may even save a laboratory from having to purchase an additional unit at all. By leveraging premium storage capacity, coupled with the right racking system and an energy-efficient freezer, lab managers will earn far more energy savings per sample, while reducing the number of freezers they need to store their samples.
Maximizing the Potential of Freezer Racks
The aforementioned benefits can help managers spend more time on their research, without having to worry about compromising the integrity of their samples. Furthermore, by following the racking system best practices, they will not only maximize the potential of these benefits, but also find themselves earning considerable cost savings.