Tissue Manual | Installing Tissues Into Liquid Nitrogen

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Installing Tissues into Liquid Nitrogen

Tissues should be installed into the collection soon after they are labeled with the MVZ number. All tissues are installed in one of the MVZ liquid nitrogen tanks on the first floor of VLSB (Freezer 1 – Herps; Freezer 2 – Birds; Freezer 3 – Mammals). Most tissues are housed in 9 x 9 (81 position) polycarbonate boxes that are labeled with a barcode that consists of “MVZ” and a four digit number (e.g., MVZ5979). Boxes without grids also may be used for large vials or odd tissue containers (e.g., carnivore tissue in tin foil).

Follow these steps when installing tissues into the collection (see screenshots below):

    1. In Arctos, go to Manage Data –> Object Tracking –> Find Container.
    2. On the left side of the screen in the Barcode field, scan the barcode of the box where tissues are being installed.
    3. On the center of the screen, click on the little square box to the left of the barcode number of the box.
    4. On the right side of the screen, click on “Positions”.
    5. Place your cursor in the cell for the position where you want to install the tissue, and scan the vial barcode into that position. If the vial has been scanned previously in a different box, scanning into the new box will automatically move the tissue vial in Arctos and create an empty cell where it was previously. Hit tab to move to the next cell.
    6. Continue doing this in subsequent cells (positions) for each tissue to be installed.
    7. When done with the box, find the rack in the liquid nitrogen freezer where you want to put the box. If this is an existing box that was previously installed (and to which you’re adding more tissues), put the box back and you’re done.
    8. If this is a new box that has never been installed before, you must scan the box into the right position in the rack in order to record its location. This is done in the following steps.
    9. In Arctos, go to Manage Data –> Object Tracking –> Move Container.
    10. At the bottom in the field for “Parent Barcode,” enter the barcode on the side of the slot or shelf where the tissue box will be installed.
    11. At the bottom in the field for “Child Barcode,” enter the barcode of the box with the tissues to be installed.
    12. Hit “Move Container” and you’re done. Put the rack back in the freezer. 

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