Dear Mie,

the transport of any biological material is unfortunately forbidden on the EU planes! If you really have to transport your slides you have to ship them or take a train or drive by yourself.

Natalia

Yes, you should ship them.

Get some good, solid containers for histology slides. Is it possible for you to take the paraffin block instead. This is why I like the paraffin blocks, they are so easy for transport and storage. A good block will easily last for 100 years.

Regards

We have travelled all over Europe to lecture and give workshops with 30 to 40 prepared rabbit skulls and we go by plane. So not all biological material is forbidden. We have even gone into Australia with our boxes of bone. It has never been a problem although it usually causes some surprise and then laughter. As your tissue is inert - fixed, dry and dead, I would ask. I would be surprised if it was not easy to take them on a plane. Whole blood  from e.g. dolphins is a different matter. I would ask one of the commercial veterinary pathology labs - they send slides everywhere for reading as well as various other samples. In the UK I would ask Trevor Whitbread at Abbey Vet Services 01626 353598 - he will know as he has run a private histology lab for 25 years and specialises in dermatohistopathology; he gets (and sends) samples from all over the world.

So, is traveling with paraffin blocks allowed? Would they be placed in check-in baggage or carry-on bag?

Yes, paraffin block are OK as there is no chance of any pathogens being there.

Regards

How to prepare and wrap paraffin blocks to ship? Should we take care of temperature as well?

Anybody knows the custom regulation for shipment of unstained slides FFPE from EU (Italy) to the US? Is it possible?