Description of Facility.
The UNSM maintains three ultralow freezers capable of maintaining -85˚C in the research collections area. Two freezers, housed in the Manter Laboratory of Parasitology, contain biological materials to be used for current and future molecular genetic analyses. One new freezer will be maintained by the biosystematics synthesis laboratory and will be used for daily operations and archival storage.
Emergency Backup.
In the HWML Parasite Genomic Research Facility, one freezer serves as the primary storage unit and the other is essentially empty, running at -50˚C. This empty freezer serves as a backup unit in the event that the primary storage unit fails.
Electricity Failure.
Wiring from the diesel generator outside Nebraska Hall needs to be pulled into both the PGRF and the Biosystematics synthesis laboratory. This generator would maintain the freezers in the event of failure of the University of Nebraska electrical grid. The wiring should be able to handle a current pull of 30 amps at a full 120 volts. This backup wiring is a high priority need for the museum. The generator is set to turn on automatically if the electricity in UNL grid for Nebraska Hall is off for more than 30 seconds.
Interim plan for Electricity Failure.
1) If the generator fails and if the city of Lincoln Electrical System (LES) does not suffer a simultaneous catastrophic failure at the same time as the UNL electrical grid, dry ice may be purchased from Valey Ice (Lincoln) in 4 day intervals, and added to the freezers to maintain the specimens at -78˚C.
2) If LES goes off line at the same time as the UNL electricity grid, and the backup generator, then dry ice will be manufactured using a “dry ice maker” from compressed carbon dioxide. Sufficient quantities of dry ice can be made from compressed carbon dioxide to maintain the freezers for about two weeks per __ canister.
Liquid nitrogen storage containers are the best long-term storage for biological materials to be used for DNA and other molecular analyses. This should be considered as an option for cryogenic storage in the UNSM. However, monthly costs prohibit use of this method without significant investment from university resources for the long-term. Current estimates for a nitrogen facility would run more than $100.00 per month just for nitrogen purchases. In addition, large tanks are several thousand dollars each, and automatic monitoring systems with auto filling make costs with this kind of system run into thousands of dollars per year.
Comments and corrections are welcome
( - Feb. 7, 2006)
Manter Laboratory of Parasitology
University of Nebraska State Museum
W529 Nebraska Hall
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Lincoln, NE 68588-0514 U.S.A.
Dr. Scott L. Gardner, Curator
