Sample Submission & Contact

Prepare your samples according to our recommended protocols. If you have any questions, please contact us to optimize your sample preparation protocol.
Complete the service order form via iLab. Ship your samples to CAMPR together with the printed order form.
For targeted analysis of specific molecules, please provide details of your targets (see Form C in #3 below).
Email Dr. Ariful Islam in advance to inform us that your samples are being shipped. We will confirm receipt by email once they arrive.
Follow our proper shipping guidelines to ensure sample quality and prevent potential damage during transit.

Collect interested tissues, organs, or other parts of interest from animals or plants.
Rapidly freeze the samples using liquid nitrogen or powdered dry ice, and store samples at -80 °C.
Before starting cryo-section, set the cryo-chamber temperature (to ~ -20 °C, refer to Cryostat manual for optimal temperature for your samples). Transfer the sample from -80 °C freezer to a cryo-chamber and with increase the sample temperature (-20 °C).
Collect sections from the regions of interest. Section thickness can range from 5 µm to 40 µm (typically 10 - 20 µm).
Mount each section on a regular glass microscope slide (76 x 26 mm or 75 x 25 mm) and deposit it by pressing your finger from the opposite side of the glass slide.
After collecting sections, place them into a glass slide storage box or tube and store at -80 °C until MSI data acquisition.
Ship sectioned samples to us on dry ice. Ensure that the sample temperate will be maintained until delivery. Place the slide box/tube containing sectioned samples in a Styrofoam box (or other) with sufficient amount of dry ice.
Alternatively, you may send your frozen tissues/organs directly to us (packed with dry ice), and we can perform sectioning sectioning with an additional service fee.

Collect samples and store them at a -80 °C freezer until MSI data acquisition. If needed, perform purification and/or extraction prior to storing in a -80 °C freezer.
Just before DESI MS data acquisition, thaw the samples.
Apply 0.3 - 1 µL of the sample on a clean glass microscope slide and allow it to dry at room temperature. A desiccator may be used to speed up drying.
Ship the glass slides to us ensuring the temperature is maintained during transit. Pack the glass slide box in a Styrofoam container with sufficient amount of dry ice.
Alternatively, you may send the frozen liquid samples directly to us. We can spot the samples for you with an additional fee.

(III) Notes:

Avoid contaminating samples with optimal cutting temperature (OCT) compound. Ensure that not OCT compound is present on the glass slide containing sample.
Minimize temperature fluctuations during sectioning. Keep the glass slide inside the cryo-chamber at all times during sectioning samples.
Maintain temperature (-80 °C) during shipment to us. Use sufficient amount of dry ice in a Styrofoam container to keep sample frozen until delivery.