What is bio-storage?
Bio-storage (or biostorage) refers to the specialized, long-term preservation of biological materials (such as tissues, blood, DNA, cells, and vaccines) at precise, ultra-low temperatures to maintain their viability and integrity for research, clinical trials, and diagnostics.
Bio-storage uses
Bio-storage plays a critical role across multiple sectors of life sciences and healthcare, including:
- Biobanking: Long-term storage of human samples for research and future medical advancements
- Pharmaceutical and biotech research: Preservation of cell lines, reagents, and biological assets
- Clinical trials: Secure storage of patient samples for reproducibility and regulatory compliance
- Fertility and reproductive medicine: Cryopreservation of sperm, eggs, and embryos
- Vaccine development and storage: Maintaining stability of temperature-sensitive biologics
In each of these applications, consistency, reliability, and temperature integrity are non-negotiable.
Liquid nitrogen supply for bio-storage applications
Liquid nitrogen (LN₂) is widely used in bio-storage due to its extremely low temperature (-196°C), enabling long-term preservation without cellular degradation. Samples are typically stored in cryogenic freezers or dewars, either in liquid or vapor phase nitrogen environments. You can read more about the types of samples and how they get stored in our article on biobanks and biorepositories.
In general, LN₂ systems are used to:
- Maintain stable ultra-low temperatures for cryopreservation
- Prevent biochemical reactions and degradation
- Enable long-term storage with minimal loss of viability
- Support rapid freezing processes essential for sensitive biological materials
Because bio-storage systems rely heavily on a continuous LN₂ supply, any interruption can pose a serious risk.
Limitations of bulk supply
Traditional bulk liquid nitrogen supply models can introduce several operational challenges:
- Reliance on third-party logistics can lead to unexpected delays and supply disruption, particularly during high demand or transport issues
- Moving and transferring cryogenic liquids using manual handling introduces safety hazards for operators
- Ongoing purchase, delivery, and storage fees accumulate over time
- Coordinating deliveries and managing stock levels requires staff time and planning - time that could be spent on more important tasks
- Multi-site operations increase complexity and risk during sample transfer
- Stored LN₂ gradually evaporates, leading to waste and added costs.
Keeping your samples safe
When liquid nitrogen supply runs out, the consequences are often irreversible. Each sample represents important work that needs preserved for the possibility of unlocking life-changing therapy and future health advancements.
On-site LN2 generation using a generator offers the following benefits:
- On-site generation eliminates the risks of transportation delays, supplier shortages, and scheduling errors, which are common with outsourced deliveries. This is critical to avoid compromising sensitive cells, tissues, and genetic materials.
- While a higher initial investment is required, on-site generation can yield significant long-term savings by eliminating the high, recurring costs of purchasing liquid nitrogen.
- Producing liquid nitrogen on-site reduces the carbon footprint associated with traditional transportation logistics.
- The use of on-site generators removes the hazards associated with managing high-pressure, heavy cryogenic cylinders and the manual labor involved in transferring them.
Conclusion
By transitioning to on-site LN₂ generation, bio-storage facilities can achieve greater control, safety, and reliability, ensuring that critical biological materials remain protected, accessible, and viable for years to come. Explore Noblegen's on-site liquid nitrogen generators today or get in touch with our team to learn more.