Our hydrogel encapsulation technology is such an innovative change to storing and transporting cells and tissues that it’s no surprise that customers have questions about how it works and what to do. All our products come with detailed protocols that you’ll find easy to follow, but we’ve included below the answers to some of the questions we’re asked a lot.
Please get in touch with us if you have any specific questions about your own cells or products.
Depending on the format between 10-30 minutes
We supply you with a physiological buffer which dissolves the gel in a few minutes
Usually about 5-10 minutes
No, once the cells are encapsulated and stored at room temperature they become quiescent and there is no need to change medium, remove waste products
Alginates have been used in humans on many occasions, although we haven’t done this ourselves
Our supplier has a confidential DMFs on file with the FDA covering their adminstration to humans by IV, IP and IM routes.
The list keeps growing, and includes: PBMC, T-cells, B-cells, monocytes, Adipose-derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells (MSCs), Umbilical Cord-derived MSCs, Limbal Stromal Stem cells, Corneal Stromal Fibroblasts, Corneal stromal tissue constructs, iPSC-derived cortical neurons, Cardiomyocytes, Kidney proximal tubule epithelial cells, iPSC-derived monocyte precursor cells, Dermal keratinocytes, Dermal fibroblasts, HEK-293 cells, HeLa, Jurkats, C2C12 cells, Mouse Primary skin, 3D skin constructs, iPSC-derived hemangioblasts, Cell spheroids (MSCs, C2C12 cells), Colorectal cancer organoids, Urine-derived epithelial cells, and neonatal brain tissue have all been successfully preserved
Not necessarily, although most of our customers do release the cells by dissolving the gel. The gel is porous so cells can be kept in it under normal culture conditions if this is preferred.
Yes it has
Typically our customers want to store cells for between 3-7 days, since this allows you to reach anywhere in the world; however longer storage up to 21 days is possible depending on cell/tissue type
Please call us to discuss your interests and we can arrange a way to send a sample if necessary
Drop us an email or call/order from the website.
We preserve cells by encapsulating them in an alginate hydrogel and storing them at hypothermic temperatures (below 37°C). The gel helps to stabilise the cell membrane at the lower temperature, which otherwise would become fragile and rupture.
Yes, it works very well with T cells.
It’s surprisingly affordable for such a great solution! The starting point for our BeadReadyᵀᴹ product is £60 per encapsulation
We suggest shipping at room temperature, however some cell & tissue types require slightly different conditions. Contact customer support for more details
Nothing, the gels are compatible with aircraft transport.
It does not
This depends on the cell type and the format in which you want to store them; cells in suspension are often stored in beads within transport tubes, Monolayers can be stored in situ within cell culture plasticware.
No. Alginates are non-toxic and safe to use, and are also safe for administration to humans
Our gels are made from highly purified alginate hydrogel formulations
Freezing and thawing cells can be very harmful to them; many cells can’t be frozen at all without catastrophic loss of viability and/or functionality
No, the cells are kept safe at hypothermic temperatures in their cushion of alginate which protects the cell membrane
No special equipment is needed other than normal laboratory equipment used in cell culture; our kits include all the reagents you need for encapsulation and dissolution of the gel
It’s very scalable, and we have already scaled up to a rate of 3,500 beads per minute with no problems. Please talk to us about your specific needs
Yes, and we usually recommend our BeadReadyᵀᴹ format for this purpose
Very well indeed, and we suggest our WellReadyᵀᴹ product for plated cells or 3D structures
Yes, we have used this with several different types of insert including Alvatex
Absolutely not – and this is one of the great advantages of encapsulating your cells within the gel. As well as providing biological protection it also protects against the shear stresses involved in shipping
No, the source material is a seaweed and is completely free of animal-derived products
No, there is absolutely no need to add any DMSO or other noxious preservatives for storing your cells
No, what goes in to the gel is what comes out!
The shelf life of the gel components is measured in years, so there is no need to use our products within some limited time span
Our raw materials are made under GMP conditions
The only limit on this is due to the size of the cells themselves. For instance, we recommend a maximum concentration of about 30 million cells/ml for MSCs (quite large cells), whereas T cells are fine at 100 million cells/ml or higher
No, once the cells are encapsulated and stored at room temperature they become quiescent and there is no need for gas exchange
Whatever medium your cells are happiest in, it really doesn’t matter as far as the properties of the gel are concerned
Yes, all kinds of cell culture substrates tested so far are compatible with the gel products
No, we offer Serum-free transport medium supplements that allow you to store your cells in the absence of serum for easier transport across national borders
Cells that are in suspension can be encapsulated in alginate
Storage and transport in-plate for adherent cells and 3D models
Preservation of cells and tissues in suspension
Cells are mixed with a solution of alginate and then added dropwise to a gelation solution. As the droplets meet the solution, they form into beads that contain the cells. Excess gelation solution is discarded and replaced with your cells’ preferred media, and the vial is then sealed ready for storing and shipping with no need for any further human interaction en route.
An alginate solution is pipetted into each well, followed by the gelation solution. After waiting a few minutes for the gel to form, the plates are ready for storage or shipment to the end user.
Adding the release buffer to the wells causes the gel to dissolve. The solutions are then discarded and replaced with your cells’ preferred media and the plates are ready for use.
It’s designed to be extraordinarily simple to use for the field-based collection of tissue samples, such as fresh biopsies.
The kit comprises two vials; the piece of tissue is added to Vial A, and the contents of Vial B are then added to it and the vial is capped. The gel forms and the sample can be shipped, and the tissue is recovered at the destination by adding the release buffer to dissolve the gel.