Refreshing Pirbright’s Sample and Freezer Navigation
Freezerworks provided a structured plan and implementation to improve visibility, organization, and efficiency across all 11 of Pirbright’s freezers with no disruptions to their critical research and zero discrepancies in the final migration.
“Freezerworks’ Team were very dedicated and went beyond what we expected to get our needs met. Considering the time difference and the many specialist teams involved, they were great at translating our issues into better ways of sample management.”
ABOUT PIRBRIGHT
The Pirbright Institute is a UK-based research organisation specialising in infectious disease control in livestock and zoonotic viruses, those that spread from animals to humans. It is a world-leading centre of excellence in the research and surveillance of viral diseases, operating a large and complex biological sample storage infrastructure.
Out of 70 cold storage facilities, including nine specialty freezers and two large walk-in freezers, inventory tracking became difficult due to a large variety of storage methods and unique containers for a high volume of irreplaceable specimens. Pirbright partnered with a Freezerworks specialist to develop more structured and scalable freezer management configurations.
THE SITUATION
An oncology biorepository is only as valuable as its data. Tissue and blood samples from cancer patients are irreplaceable, but without full annotation and a searchable system, they cannot be used to their maximum potential. ITOR faced four compounding challenges:
Freezers with inconsistent organization slowed the sample retrieval process, making routine access time-consuming and error-prone.
Wesbart trays for a custom freezer could not display details for the 703 aliquots they hold — disrupting inventory management and making individual sample identification unreliable.
Extensive subdivisions rendered large storage areas nearly inaccessible and unsearchable to end users, creating bottlenecks during time-sensitive sample retrieval.
Different teams managed each freezer independently, sacrificing organisational consistency and making cross-team sample sharing difficult to coordinate reliably.
OUR SOLUTIONS
Planning & Approval Process
We worked closely with Pirbright teams to redesign their freezer management system with minimal disruption to ongoing research. Every change was planned, mocked up, and approved before execution, ensuring data accuracy and eliminating the risk of sample misplacement or tracking inconsistencies.
- Collaborative planning and goal-setting with each team.
- Development and approval of customized freezer mock-ups before any changes were made.
- Scheduled and controlled data transfers to minimize downtime and protect research continuity.
Securing approvals in advance reduced the risk of sample misplacement or tracking inconsistencies before a single aliquot was moved.
Freezer Organization & System Enhancements
Freezerworks rolled out a structured plan to improve visibility, organization, and efficiency across all 11 freezers. The result was a searchable, visually clear system where every aliquot is identifiable at a glance, with colour-coding, clear status icons, and readable identifier information.
- Reorganizing storage by grouping similar samples to optimize space.
- Eliminating unused sections and restructuring walk-in freezers to reduce retrieval time.
- Creating multiple visual freezers with clear naming conventions for easier navigation and tracking.
- Reformatted row/column structures to improve visibility and searchability across all storage areas.
- Adjusting the row and column orientation for better readability, making it easier to locate aliquots in high-capacity trays.
Aliquots are now visibly identifiable with color-coding, clear status icons, and additional important information.
THE OUTCOMES
The structured implementation provided a seamless transition to the new setup and processes with no disruptions to research.
Error-Free Migration
Completed with ZERO discrepancies across all 11 freezers.
Enhanced Tracking
Efficient, real-time sample tracking across all storage areas.
Ease & Organization
Standardization reduced retrieval times and delays.
Efficiency
Teams can function in consistent workflows with efficiency.