Cryopreservation tube with blue cap held in front of the camera, background with laminar hood with blue rack for cryopreservation tubes.

After an experiment we often end up with left-over cells. They are also not needed for further cultivation as you have already routinely seeded an aliquot. So, what do you do with left-over cells?

Trash them? Really?? But, but, but…!! 😳😳😳

Or, freeze them, to save the poor cells from the tragic fate of being trashed and autoclaved?

Well, here is why it might not be a good idea to freeze them.

🧊 Your cells have undergone more population doublings than your usual batch from your cell banks, regardless of whether they are finite or continuous cell lines.

🧊 For finite cell lines, it is quite unlikely that you will be able to perform a reasonable experiment with them.

🧊 Continuous cell lines usually grow well under common cell culture conditions. So why freeze left-over cells?

🧊 Your liquid nitrogen cell tank will soon be overflowing with half-used, half-pitied cell stocks that are useless for anything serious, such as reproducible experiments!

Nothing wrong with keeping a few vials for “trying out” things in the cell culture lab, but don’t hoard tons of unused, left-over cells in your cell tank and data base.

Trash those left-over cells 🪣.

When the time comes, it’s time to let go with dignity 🙏.

What do YOU do with left-over cells? 👀

 

#GCCP #CellCulture #Cells #Cryopreservation #Reproducibility #MINT #STEM

Author: asban