Safe Deposit Service
HPA Culture Collections offers secure, confidential, second site storage facilities for your valuable microbial and viral seed stocks or cell banks. At ECACC this will be cryostorage, whereas at NCTC it is more likely to be freeze-dried storage in fused glass ampoules.
Cell Lines
ECACC has over twenty years experience of storing safe deposits for the scientific community. The purpose built, ultra-low temperature storage facility situated at the Health Protection Agency, Porton Down site is one of the largest secure liquid nitrogen repositories in Europe. ECACC offers two levels of service:
(1) Standard service - for the storage of research grade material
(2) cGMP validated service - for the storage of cGMP qualified master and working cell banks
Both services benefit from:
- A secure facility with restricted access control systems, staffed 24hrs a day
- All cryostorage vessels are configured for automatic fill from two independent 10,000L reservoir vessels and are constantly monitored by telemetry alarm systems for nitrogen levels and temperature.
- The use of "sentinel" monitoring cell lines stored in the same vessels
- State-of-the-art barcode driven inventory control software
The cGMP service additionally benefits from:
- An HTA licence for the storage of cell lines for human application
- A dedicated cGMP, vapour phase storage vessel independently validated by external specialists
- Additional security afforded by limiting access to the cGMP cryovessel to qualified specialists only
- Full QA support
- Client audits welcome by advance appointment
Go to 'How to submit a sample for safe deposit' should you wish to use this service.
Viruses
ECACC offers a standard safe deposit service for the storage of viruses. The service is aimed at providing a secure second site storage facility for viruses up to ACDP category 3. Please contact us for further details should you wish to use this service.
Bacteria
ECACC and NCTC offer a standard safe deposit service for bacterial deposits as frozen ampoules (ACDP 2) or freeze-dried stabilate in fused glass ampoules (ACDP 3). Please contact us for further details.
DNA
We also store DNA as part of our safe deposit service (at -80°C or -20°C). Please contact us for further information.
| Standard service (all collections) | Unit | Price |
|---|---|---|
| New customer set up | One off fee | £225 |
| Transaction fee –additions (existing customers) | Per transaction | £60 |
| Annual rental - up to 100 ampoules or cryovials (1ml) | Per ampoule or cryovial per year or part thereof | £10.50 |
| - up to 500 ampoules or cryovials (1ml) | Per ampoule or cryovial per year or part thereof | £8.50 |
| - above 500 ampoules or cryovials (1ml) | Per ampoule or cryovial per year or part thereof | £5.50 |
| Transaction fee – removals (existing customers) | Per ampoule or cryovial Minimum charge |
£2 £100 |
| cGMP service (ECACC only) | Unit | Price |
| New customer set up | One off fee | £500 |
| Transaction fee –additions (existing customers) | Per transaction | £200 |
| Annual rental of a single box holding up to 100 x 1ml cryovials | Per box | £1000 |
| Transaction fee – removals (existing customers) | Per ampoule or cryovial Minimum charge |
£2 £300 |
