GuidelinesontheOrganiza2onofSamplesinaLaboratory

CreatedbytheOfficeofResearchComplianceandTrainingAspartoftheResearchandDataIntegrity(ReaDI)Program

SupportedbyColumbiaUniversityStandingCommiGeeontheConductofResearch

Atutorialonthemanagementofsamplesincludingtheiriden2fica2onandpreserva2on

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Introduc2on

•  Thistutorialprovidesanoverviewofgenerallyeffec2veprac2cesforstorageandorganiza2onofresearchsamples

•  Youshouldfollowguidelinesestablishedby:–  PrincipalInves2gator–  Researchdiscipline–  Submissionprotocolsrequiredbyexternallabifsamplesarebeing

sentoutforanalysis

•  ThistutorialdoesNOTcoversamplescollectedforclinicalresearch

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WhyProperlyLabelSamples?•  Reducesriskofcontamina2on•  Reducesinjurytoselfandothers•  Maintainscleanandorganizedworkingenvironment•  Avoidslossordamagetovaluablesamples•  Maintainsintegrityofresearchbeingconducted

Resultsofimproperlylabeledandstoredsamples=alaboratorynightmare

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KeyInforma2ontoInclude•  Samplelabelsshouldincludethefollowinginforma2on(ata

minimum):–  Name/ini2alsofresearcher–  Notebookcode(linkssampletospecificnotebookentry)–  Datesampleprepared–  Sampleiden2fica2onsuchas:

•  Chemicalstructureorname•  Iden2fica2onnumber•  Samplename

–  Anysolvents,substrates,etc.sampleisin/on

pH6CitricAcidBufferinH2O12/12/13S.N.T.

SNT_V_151

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SamplesCollectedOutsideaLaboratory•  Anagreeduponlabelingsystemshouldbefollowedbyallpersons

collec2ngsamples•  Forsamplescollectedoutsidethelaboratory,otherinforma2onimportant

tothesampleshouldbeincludedonthelabel–  Loca2onwheresamplewascollected(coordinates,address,etc.)–  Variablesthatmayaffectsample,suchas:airtemperature,al2tude,water

depth,humidity,etc.duringcollec2on–  Timeofcollec2on–  Typeofsamplesuchas:sediment,fungi,rockdredge,etc.

•  Ifcollec2ngmul2plesamples,considerusingpre-printedlabelsthatcanbecompletedduringsamplecollec2on

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LargeNumberofSamplesStoredinSmallVials•  Ifmanysamplesarebeingcreatedandstoredinsmallvialsor

centrifugetubes,useacodingsystem•  Documentcodingsysteminlaboratorynotebook•  Manycompaniespackagevialsinpar22onedtraysthatcanbeused

toinventorysamples•  Includeanindexcardthatiden2fiesthesamplesandthecoding

systeminthesameboxasthesamples•  Besurethesmallvialsaresecurewithinthesecondarycontainerto

avoidlostsamples

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SampleLabelingDo’sandDon'tsü  UseappropriatelabelwriGenwithnon-

bleedinkorprintedfromaprinterü  Uselegiblehandwri2nginauniversal

languageunderstoodbyeverybodyinyourlab

ü  Usecleartapetoprotectlabelü  Labelwithoutobstruc2ngviewof

samplecontentsü  Placelabelevenlyü  Choosealabelsuitedforstorage

condi2ons(e.g.labelswithspecialadhesivefortemperaturesat-70°C)

x  Writedirectlyontocontainerwithmarkerorwaxpencil

x  Writeillegiblyx  Uselanguagenotunderstoodby

everybodyinlaboratoryx  Blockviewofcontentswithlabelx  Haphazardlyplacelabel

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TwoTypesofSamples

•  Ac2veSamples–  Samplesthatareaprecursorto

thenextproceduralstep–  Samplesthatrequirean

incuba2onorwaitperiodbeforenextstepsoranalysis

–  Thesamplecontainerismeantastemporarystorage

–  Evenifitistemporarystorage,alwaysincludealabel

•  PassiveSamples–  Samplesthatare“complete”–  Samplesthatareawai2ngfurther

analysisbutitwillnottakeplaceimmediately

–  Chooseanappropriatecontainerandlabelforthetypeofstorage

K3[Fe(C2O4)3]�3H2O

249.8mgS.N.T10-1-14SNT_I_204

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ChooseanAppropriateContainerSamplesthatarevola2leshouldbeina2ghtlysealedcontainer,topreventevapora2on.Ex:crimpsealvials

Light-sensi2vesamplesshouldbeinambervials.Someresearchersalsowrapvialsinaluminumfoil.Ifwrappinginfoil,includelabelonoutsideoffoil.

Chooseappropriatestoragecontainersforsamplesthatneedtobestoredinafreezerorrefrigerator.Ex:cryotubes

Somecontainersmaydeteriorateinpresenceofsomechemicalsandelevatedtemperatures,whichwillcontaminatesample--chooseinertcontainersandcaps.

PTFElinedviallidsCardboardlinedviallids

Vs.

Choosethecontainermostappropriateforthelengthofstorage,long-termvs.short-term.

Plas2c(disposable)petridish

PyrexpetridishVs.

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ContainersThatAreNotAppropriateforLong-term(>1week)StorageofSamples

Laboratoryglasswareiscostly,notdesignedforlong-termstorage,andomenlacksamethodto2ghtly“cap”thecontainer.

WeighdishesshouldNEVERbeusedforstorageofsamples.

Plas2ccontainersarenotalwayssterileandnotcompa2blewithmanysolventsorextremetemperatures.Checkmanufacturer’srecommenda2onsbeforestoringsamples.

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Organiza2onandStorageofSamplesSamplessensi2vetoair,temperature,and/ormoistureshouldbepreparedandstoredintheappropriateenvironment.Thelabelneedstonotetheenvironmentrequired.

Eachresearchershouldhavealabeledareaineachofthesharedlaboratoryspaces.Ex:labbench,fridge,freezer,glovebox,etc.

Groupsamplesbytypeand/orproject.Ex:minerals

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WhentoDisposeofSamples•  Whensamplescannotbere-used

–  Samplesthatwerepreparedforaone-2meuseasinthecaseformanyinstrumenta2onsamples•  Ex:TEMgrids,microscopeslides,etc.

•  Whensampleshavebeencontaminated–  Theintegrityofthesamplehasbeencompromised,thereforeresultsareunreliable

•  Whensamplesareexpired–  Samplesthatdegradeover2me

•  Whensamplesarenolongerneeded,disposeofsamplesproperly(alwayscheckwithPIandEH&S)

Labspaceislimited.Keepingspacefreeofunwantedsamplesprovidesanorganizedworkingenvironment,inaddiTontoreducingrisksofcontaminaTonand/orinjury

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WhattodowithSampleswhenYouArePermanentlyLeavingLaboratoryorAn2cipa2ngaLong-termAbsence?

•  ALWAYScheckwithPIand/orlabmanagerabouttheproperstorageloca2onofsamples

•  Besuresamplesareproperlylabeledandorganized•  SubmitaninventoryofsamplesandreagentstoPI•  IfPIhasiden2fiedyoursuccessor,besuretoputthesamplesina

loca2onthattheycaneasilyfind•  Valuablesamplesshouldbeinaloca2onthatareknowntothePI

andremaininggroupmembers•  Properlydisposeofanysamplesthatcanbediscarded

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Summary

•  Followsamplelabelingguidelinesasdefinedbyyour:–  PI–  Discipline–  Analysislabprotocols

•  Labelsamplesclearlywiththefollowinginforma2on:–  Name,date,samplename(orstructure),notebookcode,collec2onsite

informa2on(ifapplicable)–  Ifusingsmalltubes,includeinforma2onwithincontainerhousingtubes

•  Choosealabelandstoragecontainermostappropriatefor:–  Typeandsizeofsample–  Lengthofstorage–  Loca2onofstorage

•  Keepsamplesorganized.Categorizingbyproject,type,researcher,etc.•  Whensamplesarenolongerneeded,arecontaminated,and/ordegraded,

disposeofthemproperly•  Whenleavinglaboratory,besuresamplesareinaloca2onthatcanbeeasily

accessedbyremaininggroupmembersandPI

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Addi2onalResources

•  OthertutorialsonRascal–  BestPrac/cesforDataManagementwhenUsingInstrumenta/on

–  GoodLaboratoryNotebookPrac/ces•  Datastoragerepositories

–  NIH-supporteddatarepositories:hGp://www.nlm.nih.gov/NIHbmic/nih_data_sharing_repositories.html

–  SESAR,SystemforEarthSampleRegistra2on:hGp://www.geosamples.org/

–  EarthChem,accesstogeochemical,geochronological,andpertologicaldatahGp://www.earthchem.org/

CreatedbyMichelleC.Benson,PhDOfficeofResearchComplianceandTrainingmb3852@columbia.edu

AGribu2onNon-CommercialInterna2onal4.0

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References

•  hGp://www.rdmag.com/ar2cles/2014/03/storing-and-tracking-samples-preserving-contents-and-managing-sample-data

•  hGp://www.chem.tamu.edu/rgroup/gladysz/documents/labeling.pdf•  hGp://www.ohsu.edu/xd/health/services/lab-services/specimen-

collec2on/labeling-requirements.cfm•  hGp://www.labmanager.com/laboratory-technology/2010/11/five-

common-mistakes-in-lab-labeling?fw1pk=2#.VYrdXqZ97ZF•  hGps://www.iuhealth.net/pdf/pathology-lab/nurse-resources/

labeling_guidelines.pdf