Fresh embryos will be shipped packaged in parafilm-wrapped 0.2cc plastic tubes, filled completely with medium. Optimally, living embryos should be shipped on the same day as collection. Overnight shipment in appropriate media within suitably temperature-controlled containers also is feasible. Embryos can also be harvested and frozen at ED 3.5 or 2.5 for use in microinjection or gene targeting experiments. These cryopreserved embryos are packaged in cryovials with approximately 20 embryos per vial.
Overnight delivery is done using specially designed dry ice shippers.
To maximize the yield of injectable expanded blastocysts from a group of donor females, users should culture 8-cell morula overnight for use the next day as expanded blastocysts. Verify the incubator conditions the day before incubation. Prepare and equilibrate the culture drops for 6 to 24 hours before incubation. Following incubation, evaluate the cultured embryos.