Search


|| Home || Comments & Questions || Faculty || Schedule of Fees || Contact Us ||

 

 

Shipping Information

Instructions For Shipping:

Live animals
Animal Identification Methods
Extreme environmental temperatures
Serum samples
PCR samples
Fixed tissues
Genetic Services samples
Cell Check samples

Carriers

Shipping address

Research Animal Diagnostic Laboratory
University of Missouri
Room W104, Veterinary Medicine Bldg.
1600 E. Rollins
Columbia, MO 65211
(573) 882-5983

Live animals

A separate accession form is required for each species and for each diagnostic profile.  Please attach a copy of the accession form to the shipping crate to help us accurately match animals with the test(s) requested.

Animals should be shipped in a clean, sturdy ventilated shipping container and provided with adequate room, food, moisture and bedding. Always include enough food and moisture for at least 72 hours of transit in the event that animal receipt is delayed. Animal comfort may be enhanced by providing extra moisture in the summer months and extra bedding in the winter months. Be sure the container is properly secured to prevent animal escape or injury in transit.

All animal cases are to be shipped PREPAID by an overnight carrier to our address. Call your carrier prior to scheduling animal pick-up to determine whether special pick-up times are required to ensure overnight delivery. Call or e-mail the RADIL to notify us of your pending animal shipment so that we will be able to track shipments that do not arrive on schedule. Ship from Monday through Wednesday to avoid the possibility of weekend deliveries.

Extreme environmental temperatures

Extreme environmental temperatures may result in loss of animals during transit. Both local temperatures and temperatures at Missouri points of destination (St. Louis, Kansas City and Columbia) need to be considered. The animal welfare act provides the following requirements for guinea pigs, hamsters and rabbits: the ambient temperature in animal cargo spaces should not exceed 85°F or fall below 45°F and auxiliary ventilation should be provided when temperatures are 75°F or higher. Using these as a guide, we recommend that you consider the following when shipping ALL laboratory animals, including mice and rats:

  • Ship only with carriers that can assure you that these guidelines are met for all live animals including mice and rats; be sure to consider the animals? entire trip including ground transport from St. Louis or Kansas City to Columbia.
  • Include enough food and moisture for at least 72 hours of transit in the event that animal receipt is delayed.
  • Ship from Monday through Wednesday to avoid the possibility of weekend deliveries.

    During the summer months (June-Sept in Missouri)
  • Inquire about morning flight shipments, procedures for movement of animals from airport tarmac to ground transport and ground transport animal holding conditions
  • Provide extra moisture sources
  • Decrease animal density; heat stress is more common in large groups of rodents
  • Observe weather and consider delaying shipping if local or Columbia, Missouri temperatures are above 85°F or if the heat index is above 95°F. NOTE: rats are particularly sensitive to heat stress.

    During the winter months (Nov-Feb in Missouri)
  • Inquire about procedures for movement of animals from airport tarmac to ground transport and ground transport animal holding conditions
  • Provide extra bedding
  • Observe weather and consider delaying shipping if local or Columbia, Missouri temperatures are below 25°F.
  • Nude mice are particularly sensitive to cold temperatures. Consider delaying shipping of nude mice if local or Columbia, Missouri temperatures are below 35°F.

Serum samples

Serum samples should be shipped PREPAID, frozen using an overnight service to our address on Monday through Thursday to avoid weekend deliveries. One or two pounds of ice packs are generally adequate depending on the type of container, the number of samples and ambient temperature. Optimal shipping conditions are achieved when the entire package with its lid open is frozen overnight at or below -20 C before pickup. The use of dry ice is not required. If you choose to ship on dry ice, check in advance for special hazardous shipping requirements and to be certain that your shipping service will accept dry ice packages.

To expedite testing, preclude leakage, and minimize processing costs, we encourage clients to submit 1:5 diluted serum in RADIL cryovials (provided free of charge on request to clients who pre-dilute their samples) sequentially numbered with an indelible marker.

NOTE: A completed serology accession form must be included with each submission specifying the species, serum dilution, and the specific serology profile or individual test(s) requested. Describe any potential biohazards associated with the samples. Failure to provide any of this information could delay testing. Please use a separate serology accession form (see serology sample preparation and shipping) for each different species of animal and serologic profile or group of test(s) requested.

PCR samples

Biological specimens for PCR evaluation should be collected aseptically and placed in individually labeled containers, as described in molecular biology sample collection and preparation for shipping.

IMPACT: To test biological specimens or cultured cells by the IMPACT, send two 2ml cryovials of each sample with 1 x 107 cells/vial in 1 ml of growth media or phosphate-buffered saline to our laboratory on a minimum of 2 kg of dry ice by overnight courier.

Feces: Fecal pellets for identification of viruses should be frozen and shipped on dry ice in a styrofoam container by an overnight carrier service that handles dry ice shipments. Fecal pellets for identification of Helicobacters should be shipped by an overnight carrier, but do not need to be chilled or frozen.

Tissue or cellular samples: Each cellular sample should be placed in individually labeled sterile containers. Tissue samples should be frozen and shipped on dry ice in a styrofoam container by an overnight carrier service that handles dry ice shipments.

Include a completed Molecular Biology Services Accession Form with the container. Ship samples PREPAID by overnight carrier, to our address, on Monday through Thursday to avoid weekend deliveries.

Fixed tissues

To ship fixed tissue samples, place them in leak-proof, labeled, plastic containers and place these containers in a plastic, sealable bag, and pack in absorbable paper material.  Once fixed, some of the formalin can be removed, but retain enough to keep tissue moist. Include a completed Laboratory Services Accession Form. Ship  sample PREPAID to our address, on Monday through Thursday to avoid weekend deliveries. 

For technical information see Sample Collection and Preparation.

Genetic Services samples

Samples should be shipped overnight on ice packs. If samples will take longer than overnight to arrive or the air temperature is greater than 85 degrees, please ship samples on dry ice. Fill out the Speed Congenic or Microsatellite Submission Form and include with samples. Please fax form to (573-884-7521) or submit on-line submission form prior to shipment.

For technical information see Sample Collection and Preparation.

Cell Check samples

For each sample, send a 2 ml cryovial containing 1 x 107 cells/vial. Cells may be in the form of a pellet or in growth media, freeze media or phosphate-buffered saline. Collection of material for testing should be performed aseptically to prevent inadvertent contamination of the samples. Ship samples frozen to our laboratory by overnight courier.

List of Carriers

Carrier Phone Number Ship Animals Carry Dry Ice
Bax Global 1-800-225-5229 X X
World Courier 1-800-221-6600 X X
UPS Supply Chain Solutions
 (formally Menlo Worldwide Forwarding)		 1-800-443-6379 X X
DHL 1-800-225-5345   X
Express Mail Local Post Office    
FedEx 1-800-463-3339   X
United Parcel Service 1-800-742-5877   X
(<5 lbs)

Phone (800)669-0825 || Fax (573)884-7521 || radil@missouri.edu || 1600 East Rollins, Columbia, MO 65211
Home