If your cells are well adherent then you can use this method and it works for 2-3 days at room temperature, or normal mail. Once you grow cells till confluent in 25 sq cm flask fill the flasks till neck with medium (complete fill) and close the lid (lid without vent). you can transport them in a normal box, but in next 24-36 h you should split them.
Freeze them in the way you would normally freeze them (in serum, dmso, or whatever your cells use). Pack them well in dry ice on a monday morning in a thick Styrofoam container with a fitted lid. Then ship them overnight on dry ice. Tell the lab where you are going to expect them and have someone put them in liquid nitrogen for you. If possible, ask the lab head if someone can start propagating your cells so they're ready to go when you arrive a few days later.
Now you have two options.........If your objective is to treat the cells in your lab and you do not want to grow them further and want to carry only cells to th other lab.......only for some other experiments after such microarry analysis...one can carry the cell into RNA later also .....then they are stable at 4 degree/room temp....
Thanks John for the post. I did not realize (although it makes sense) that primary cells do not do well to go from liquid nitrogen to dry ice then back to liquid nitrogen. Good to know!
If your cells are well adherent then you can use this method and it works for 2-3 days at room temperature, or normal mail. Once you grow cells till confluent in 25 sq cm flask fill the flasks till neck with medium (complete fill) and close the lid (lid without vent). you can transport them in a normal box, but in next 24-36 h you should split them.
We use to do like Birendra does, even with non-adherent cells. In winter we keep the flask close to our body to mantain it warm. In summer be careful to the heat shock
For 1/2 days journey you can carry the cells as mentioned by Mr. Birendra. You just need to fill the flask till neck with medium. You can use lower % of FBS/FCS in media if the cells' growth rate is high.