Sample Preperation & Shipping

For genetic identifications to be accurate, it is important that pure, active, healthy cultures are analyzed. The best sample submission is pure single culture isolates, freshly transferred and actively growing on agar plates or slants. If that is not available, samples can be submitted in other forms, such as pure or mixed cultures* as centrifugation pellets, liquid suspensions, or a portion of contaminated material. But these would materially delay the analysis. Therefore, analysis of these samples will require additional time and expense as we transfer them to agar plates and subculture to isolate pure, concentrated cell populations.

All microbial samples should be properly labeled and placed into individual sample containers (plates, tubes, bottles). Sample containers permitting edge air exchange (e.g., plates) and snap-top containers (e.g., micro centrifuge tubes or vials) should be laboratory film sealed. Sample containers should be packaged according to Department of Transportation (DOT) and Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) requirements, by placing single to multiple samples together into a liquid impermeable shipment container (e.g., plastic shipment canister) or biosafety bag(s) that meet DOT/FAA requirements. They should be padded appropriately with clean packing material, as well as with some form of absorbent material (paper towels, laboratory wipes, cotton, etc.) and the shipment containers boxed and appropriately labeled for shipping. To ensure sample viability, shipping should be overnight, second day air or similar services. Each shipment must include our sample submission form as well as a standard shippers (e.g., DHL or FedEx) declaration form.

If the samples submitted are suspected as potentially dangerous or pathogenic BSL-3 microorganisms, MEI should be notified well in advance of shipping and the samples and shipment labeled appropriately.

Please contact us if you have questions or concerns about sample shipping.

*After isolation, and before proceeding further, we will advise on the number of different pure culture isolates present in a sample, potentially needing identification. An additional processing fee will be assessed/ per media type to obtain pure cultures from a mixed culture.