The samples were stored at a temperature of -190 degrees in tanks cooled with liquid nitrogen, reports The Guardian.
Sometime between December 22 and 23, the 16 cryogenic tanks did not receive a new supply of liquid nitrogen. The tanks can survive four days without this supply, but because the freezer broke during the holidays, they were without nitrogen for five days. As a result, much research material from several institutions has been destroyed.
Millions in damage
The special freezer is located in the Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm. It is home to the Nobel Assembly, where a winner is selected for the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine.
A dean who works on campus estimates that the value of the lost samples is in the millions. According to Swedish media, the university’s loss amounts to 500 million Swedish crowns, equivalent to around 43 million euros.
Research material
The material has been used for major medical research and has been retained for future research. “The worst affected are scientists who research leukemia. They have collected samples from patients over the past 30 years,” he says.
The university has started an internal investigation into the cause of the broken freezer. Although there are no indications of sabotage, a report has also been filed with the police.
2024-02-06 13:48:03
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