I have a package of cells being shipped to the UK from the States, which is currently being held in customs. How long can the cell vial survive on the dry ice? It will be at least 4 days from shipping before the cells arrive, are they likely to be at all viable?
The cells can probably stay quite a long time on dry ice and remain viable, the limiting factor is how long will the dry ice keep. This depends on how big the box is, how much dry ice they added in the first place, and how well insulated the box is. Typically, 4 days would be too long and the dry-ice would be gone by then, but may be it is a super thick walled box with several kilos of dry ice that might keep for longer? I've had to wait weeks for some shipments that were held in customs (asking for tax codes etc..) and luckily they were lyophilised enzymes from Japan that survived even though the dry ice was long gone.
Jurgen is correct. So long as your cells stay on dry ice they can survive a delay. In the future you might consider using a different carrier. Some (more expensive) carriers will guarantee that your sample stays frozen by adding more dry ice to the box if your shipment is delayed in customs.
Thanks both of you. I got the cells today with a small amount of dry ice left, and the samples still frozen. I'm having a go at culturing them & I'll let you know how it goes.
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