What safety precautions are necessary for thawing ampules that have been stored in liquid nitrogen?
A glass ampule or plastic vial that has been submerged in liquid nitrogen can explode upon removal if it has not been properly sealed. Resulting glass or plastic fragments fly at high force in all directions creating a hazard. Thus a face guard and protective gloves and clothing must be worn whenever an ampule is removed from liquid nitrogen. ATCC does not routinely store cells in the liquid phase. For reconstitution, the ampule should be agitated in a covered water bath at 37°C until its contents have thawed completely. To recover the cell suspension from a glass ampule, the neck is nicked with a small file, the ampule is washed with 70% ethanol, wrapped between several folds of a sterile towel or gauze and snapped open. The ampule contents can then be removed with a sterile 1 ml pipette (needles and syringes should be avoided whenever possible). I have just received a human tumor cell line. What are the biohazards associated with this line? How should I work with it? Answer: It is no
