I have never transported hippocampal neurons but have shipped growing
cells internationally on many occasions so we are taking 1-3 days in
transit. You want to avoid sloshing that would either temporarily dry
them out or physically beat on them like waves hitting the shore. I fill
my flasks to the very tip top and seal tightly. This won't work for
cells on coverslips or multiwells but  should if they are in flasks. I
agree Hepes buffer is needed.   

Thomas E. Phillips, Ph.D
Professor of Biological Sciences
Chair, MU Faculty Council
Director, Molecular Cytology Core
2 Tucker Hall
University of Missouri
Columbia, MO 65211-7400
573-882-4712 (office)
573-882-0123 (fax)
[log in to unmask]

http://www.biology.missouri.edu/faculty/phillips.html
http://www.biotech.missouri.edu/mcc/


-----Original Message-----
From: Confocal Microscopy List [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
On Behalf Of Michael Schell
Sent: Wednesday, February 04, 2009 5:01 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: Cell culture transport (one hour drive) possible ?

I've transported hippocampal neurons about half an hour away, but I
never tried longer.  To maximize your chances of success:

1.  The best plan is to transport them between 3 and 7 days after
plating, before they become synaptically mature.  If you can bring them
to the imaging location during that time and allow them to recover in an
incubator for a day or longer, that's the best solution.

2.  Add Hepes pH 7.2 to a final concentration of 10-20 mM to each dish
to be transported.  Then, seal the culture dishes with parafilm and
place them stacked in a styrofoam box for transport.  Drive carefully.

3.  Your neurons will survive best if you can raise the MgCl
concentration in the medium up to 10 mM just before transport.  This
will greatly reduce deadly calcium influx.  However, this maneuver might
not be compatible with your experiment, since cultured hippocampal
neurons require conditioned medium to survive (you cannot just change
out of the Hi Mg medium into fresh medium once you get to the imaging
destination; having extra conditioned medium available at the
destination might circumvent this problem).  

Good luck,
Mike




Michael J. Schell, Ph.D., CIV, USUHS
Assist. Professor
Dept. of Pharmacology
Uniformed Services University
4301 Jones Bridge Rd.
Bethesda, MD  20814-3220
tel:  (301) 295-3249
[log in to unmask]
>>> Christophe Leterrier <[log in to unmask]> 02/04/09 5:48
PM >>>
Dear imaging specialists,

I'm wondering if tranporting cell cultures (low-density rat
hippocampal neurons, to be more specific) would be feasible from my
lab to an imaging facility that is between half an hour and an hour
away. I'm surprized how little information I could get on the web. Do
such thing as a portable incubator exist ? Do any of you have a
low-tech / low-price advice to give ? I'd be glad to hear your
suggestions.

Thanks a lot,

Christophe Leterrier
Ionic channels neurobiology Lab
UMR641 - Marseille, France