Question 1

How should I ship my samples?

Accepted Answer

For fixed tissue, send samples in a tightly sealed container with enough solution to completely cover the samples. Our recommendation is to completely fill the sample container with the solution (i.e. 70% Ethanol or PBS) and wrap a strip of Parafilm tightly around the lid where it meets the container. For FFPE blocks, include a cold pack in the summer to prevent the blocks from sticking together. For sectioned slides, send slide container in a well-cushioned package to prevent slides and/or slide box from moving around during the shipping process. For antibodies, ship in an insulated foam container with dry ice or cold pack (depending on the antibody storage guidelines) and tightly seal the container with heavy duty tape. Please note that NDB Bio is not responsible to any damages that occur during shipping.

Question 2

What is your turn around time?

Accepted Answer

Each project is unique so the time depends on what you are trying to accomplish. Routine staining is between 10-15 business days. Antibody Optimizations is between 2-4 weeks. If you are sending wet tissue, 5 business days are needed for histology processing, embedding, and sectioning. Rush services are available upon request for a turnaround time of 5-10 business days. Contact us for more information about the turnaround time of your project.

Question 3

What should I include with my samples?

Accepted Answer

Include a completed copy of the Work Request Form. Also, please send us an email with the copy of the form and the tracking number of your shipment.

Question 4

When can I send my samples?

Accepted Answer

Samples are received Monday-Friday so please be careful about shipping your samples later in the week since we do not receive samples over the weekend. Be especially careful about this with antibodies, fixed tissues, and FFPE blocks in the summer months, as the high temperatures can damage your shipment. As always, include the tracking number of your package in the work request form or email it to us at info@ndbbio.com

Question 5

How long should I fix my tissue samples for?

Accepted Answer

We recommend fixing your samples for no less than 24 hours and no more than 48 hours, then transferring and shipping the tissue in 70% Ethanol. However, this depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are only interested in H&E staining, then there is more flexibility in the fixation time. However, IHC requires specialized fixation which often depends on the marker of your interest. Please research the appropriate fixation method for your marker and/or feel free to email us.

Question 6

I don’t see my antibody/marker of interest on your website. What should I do?

Accepted Answer

We are constantly optimizing antibodies and the list on the website may not be up to date. Please email us the markers of your interest and a member of our team will be in touch with you regarding your project. You can also fill out our “Quote Request Form” for a detailed project quote.

Question 7

Do you offer diagnostic staining?

Accepted Answer

Currently, we offer staining for only research purposes on all human and animal tissue. We are not a CLIA-certified lab and do not provide IHC diagnostic services for pathological diagnosis and/or treatment. Pathology reports are provided for research use only.

Question 8

How many unstained slides do you need for my project?

Accepted Answer

For routine IHC, we need 3 slides per sample per antibody/stain. Please be sure to include a positive control for your marker in addition to your samples. For antibody optimization, we need between 20-30 positive control slides per antibody. Any unused slides are returned upon completion of project.

Question 9

Do you accept cytospin slides? If so, how do you fix and ship them?"

Accepted Answer

Yes, we do accept cytospin slides. The slides can be fixed in 10% Neutral Buffered Formalin or freshly made 4% PFA for 10 mins at RT. Once fixed, the slides should be rinsed in PBS briefly and dried for at least 1 hour (overnight is preferred). The slides can be stored at 4°C after drying. A few things to note:
Using coated cytospin slides will help retain more cells onto the slide during the staining process. (Example: Shandon™ Single Cytoslides™ (Coated), Link Here)
Please send at least 5-7 unstained slides per sample per antibody stain.
Please ship slides in insulated container with cold pack to help preserve cell morphology.

Question 10

What if I have my antibody and can provide a working protocol?

Accepted Answer

We will still need to optimize the antibody protocol due to the use of our own detection systems.

Accelerating your path to discovery

Frequently Asked Questions