When moving a laboratory from one location to another, you may be tempted to hire one moving company for the entire project. Desks and chairs, mass spectrometers and cryogenic freezers, stem cells and fibroblasts, all packed in the same truck. That should make things less complicated, right?
Wrong.
With any combination of high-value equipment, fragile biological materials, and sensitive chemicals, you need more than a general moving company. You need someone experienced with specialized laboratory moving services that can effectively manage risk during your lab relocation.
Here, we discuss how and when to use specialized lab moving companies for your biological material lab relocation project. We also offer some tips to help you prepare for shipping biological samples.
General Movers vs. Specialized Lab Movers: What’s the Difference?
It’s important to understand the difference between general moving service providers and specialized lab moving companies, especially when sensitive biological materials are involved.
General movers are great at packing and transporting home and office furniture or even industrial machinery, but they have little to no understanding of biological or regulated material handling requirements including traceability. Even using refrigerated or frozen shipping containers (also called reefer containers), general movers can’t accommodate ultra-low or cryogenic temperatures and lack detailed cold chain tracking and risk reduction capabilities.
Biological material lab relocation specialists, on the other hand, have expertise and regulatory knowledge essential for relocating temperature-controlled biological materials like cells, tissues, and blood; even material stored at cryogenic temperatures.
Refrigerators and freezers, including cryotanks, feature monitors, alarms, and backups to ensure temperature stability. Environmental conditions and all actions are tracked to support a strong cold chain of custody throughout the move, and proactive contingency plans help to reduce sample risk during unexpected events.
| Capability | General Movers | Specialized Lab Movers |
|---|---|---|
| Biological material handling | No training, no experience | Trained with expertise specific to biological materials like cells, tissues, and blood products |
| Temperature control | Generally not controlled. Reefer containers cannot freeze lower than approx. -30° C | Precise control from ambient to -190° C (liquid nitrogen), cold chain equipment, on-board generators, extra LN2 supply, continuous alarmed monitoring |
| Documentation | Inventory list | Inventory list, chain of custody, temperature monitoring data |
| Training and compliance | General safety | Chemical and biosafety handling, USDOT, HAZMAT |
| Protection | Bubble wrap, blankets, cardboard | Cold storage units with controlled handling and monitoring |
| Risk mitigation planning | Minimal | Proactive planning to protect materials and operational continuity |
Table 1. General Movers vs. Specialized Lab Movers: Side-by-Side Comparison
Cold Chain Material Relocation Tips
Maintaining temperature control is essential to preserve biological sample viability and integrity. Below are tips you can implement before, during, and after relocating your samples.
Before the Move
First, create a clear timeline and action plan for packing samples at the origin and receiving them at the destination, and ensure that any certifications are procured, and all stakeholders are aligned with the plan.
This includes prioritizing samples if necessary, minimizing sample exposure during packing and loading, using clearly labeled packaging materials best suited or the required temperature range (refrigerated, frozen, cryofrozen), and ensuring that equipment is operationally optimized at the destination prior to sample receipt.
Before a move is also an excellent time to take stock of your overall inventory. After all, why move expired or unnecessary samples if they’ll never be used? And why take up lab space with more freezers at the destination when you can consolidate samples into fewer freezers?
Need help determining how much you can save by optimizing and consolidating your cold storage space? Start with a Better Storage Management assessment.
During the Move
Share the action plan with your mover, preferably a dedicated biological material lab relocation specialist.
Confirm that they will monitor all sample movement and temperature conditions and provide documentation to support an intact chain of custody. Also confirm that they have backup mechanisms and contingency plans in place to protect materials and equipment from harm.
After the Move
At the destination, immediately inspect the equipment and samples to confirm integrity and report any excursions to relevant stakeholders including your quality department.
Review and download data collected during the transfer to your laboratory information management system (LIMS), electronic lab notebook (ELN), or other documentation platform, and transfer samples to their assigned refrigerator or freezer location.
Cryogenic Freezer Relocation Tips
Cryogenic freezer and tank moves should include handling protocols that protect the equipment, materials inside, and personnel in contact with the units. Below are tips to implement before, during, and after moving a cryofreezer
Before the Move
Here again, a detailed timeline and plan, and clear team communication are vital for a successful move. Additionally, confirm that the cryofreezer’s dimensions and weight are suitable for its destination space. Equally important is ensuring that the freezer can be easily moved from its origin to the shipping dock and again from the receiving dock to its final destination.
Within the cryofreezer, ensure that samples are secured so they won’t be dislodged as the tank is moved. Finally, confirm the cryofreezer’s hold time. This sample protection mechanism is the length of time that it will hold a steady temperature when disconnected from a power source.
During the Move
When sharing the action plan and timeline with your mover, confirm that their personnel are trained and experienced with cryogenic freezer relocation, and ensure that the freezer will be connected to power during the move and that they have adequate backup liquid nitrogen supplies to replenish the freezer as needed.
After the Move
At the destination, immediately inspect the cryofreezer for any damage. Once in its final lab location, connect it to power and monitor it closely over the next 24-48 hours to ensure that it reaches and maintains the required temperature. After equilibrating, inspect the contents and look for any damage or dislodged materials.
Mitigating Risk During Biological Material Lab Relocation
When relocating biological materials, the difference between a general mover and a specialized lab mover is a matter of risk and control. Lost or compromised samples cannot be recovered and can hinder years of research progress. Regulatory violations add delays and costly burdens to resolve.
When looking to mitigate as much risk as possible, opt for a specialized mover that can deliver your laboratory relocation with the precision, attention to detail, and accountability needed to safeguard your critical biological assets.