Central Freezer Storage Facility

Cold storage of all types of aliquots Facility

Cold storage of all types of aliquots

We offer advice, storage, and management of biomaterials for the UMCG as well as for external institutes and companies.

Since 2018, the UMCG has had a professionally managed Central Freezer Facility for scientific research purposes. We can offer storage for more than three months. The Facility meets the highest quality standards and guarantees efficient biomaterial storage and distribution process flows.

The controlled storage of biomaterials meets the ISO 9001:2015 requirements and relevant legislation and regulations, both for research that is subject to the Medical Research involving Human Subjects Act (WMO) as well as for research not subject to this legislation (biobank).

Both existing and new collections can be stored.

Our procedure

First contact and agreement

Please contact us via email or telephone and indicate your wishes and the data that you intend to collect;
The facility coordinator will then contact you. Together we will make a plan tailored to your wishes;
Fill in the required forms. The freezer facility staff will be happy to help you.

Regular contact throughout storage

During the practical phase (i.e. inserting the samples), we will regularly maintain contact with you;
During the storage of your samples at the freezer facility, we will be happy to answer any questions that you might have.

We have two storage locations at our disposal:
- Cellar D, located in the basement beneath the Central Medical Complex. We provide104 –20°C/–80°C freezers and 16 500L bulk stainless steel cryogenic containers;
- Outside the hospital, at the logistics campus ‘Logistiek Centrum Eemspoort’. We provide 174 –80°C freezers.

Our services

Our Freezer Storage Facility offers researchers biomaterial storage and management for their research projects such as clinical trials, cohort studies, and patient control studies. We provide storage at –20°C and –80°C, as well as liquid nitrogen storage.

For other matters related to clinical trials and studies, visit UMCG research support or send a message
Do you want to collect biomaterials for your new biobank or professionalize your current collection? We offer you support with and advice about the biomaterial collection, storage, and management of your biobank.

For other matters related to starting your biobank, please send a message
Label the aliquot tubes (available in different variants) as a batch process;

We can print separate labels, including batch labels, with a tube labelling machine;

Re-label cold frozen aliquot tubes;

Scan 2D/QR aliquot tube boxes as a batch.
Transportation is provided throughout the Netherlands;

Shipments are provided throughout the world (both import and export; with a withdrawal and collection request);

For transportation requests, we have a caddy (a separate service).
Besides offering storage space and an optimal storage plan, we also provide:

Sample registration (a reporting tool);

Assistance with your biomaterial collection and storage, e.g. with protocols and collection issues;

A 24/7 alarm monitoring system and a follow-up protocol for malfunctioning of the storage equipment.