Get These Right for Matrigel Smoothness

I. Upon Receipt of Shipment, Please Inspect

1、Check if there is dry ice in the foam box；

2、Check if the matrigel is in a solid state and if the surface is smooth；

3、Check if the color of the matrigel is within the normal range (white/milky white for phenol red-free, and yellow-pink-dark red for phenol red-containing, determined by temperature changes)；

4、If you do not intend to use the matrigel immediately upon receipt, immediately store it in a -20/-80℃ freezer for long-term storage.

II. Operating Procedure Instructions

Before each use of matrigel, strictly follow the thawing procedure below！！！

1、Pre-chill "matrigel ice pack(abs7289)" at -20℃, or prepare crushed ice, and pre-chill the 200μL pipette tip box for over 1 hour. Take out the matrigel from the -20/-80℃ freezer before the end of the workday and place it in the "matrigel ice pack" (or bury it in an ice pack filled with crushed ice), then transfer the entire ice pack to a 4℃ refrigerator for overnight thawing；

2、After overnight thawing, the matrigel is ready for use. Take the matrigel out from the 4℃ refrigerator and immediately place it in a -20℃ pre-chilled "matrigel aliquoting ice pack" (crushed ice pack). Then perform sterile operations in a biosafety cabinet/laminar flow hood；

3、When using the matrigel, take out the -20℃ pre-chilled 200μL pipette tips and open the matrigel bottle cap (try to keep the matrigel bottle on the matrigel thawing ice pack during operation)；

4、After using the matrigel, immediately return it to the ice pack and store it in a 4℃ refrigerator for short-term storage. Use it within two weeks.

III. Essential Notes

1、Do not allow the palm of your hand to come into direct contact with the matrigel；

2、The entire process should be carried out on a pre-chilled matrigel aliquoting ice pack (crushed ice pack). Unused matrigel from a single experiment can be stored at 4℃ for up to two weeks；

3、Never thaw or store matrigel directly in the refrigerator. Always place it in a "matrigel ice pack" (or bury it in an ice pack filled with crushed ice) before putting it in the 4℃ refrigerator for thawing or storage. Also, avoid placing it on the refrigerator door or in a frequently opened refrigerator for thawing or storage. Try to place it inside the 4℃ refrigerator, in a drawer, or near the cold air outlet for thawing or storage.

4、As matrigel is temperature-sensitive, it is recommended to use a non-defrosting and temperature-stable refrigerator for thawing and storage. Do not thaw matrigel in a refrigerator with an automatic defrosting function.

5、If using a crushed ice pack for overnight thawing, secure the position of the matrigel bottle to ensure that the bottle does not tip over after the overnight melting of the crushed ice, and that ice water does not submerge the bottle opening；

6、Avoid repeated freeze-thaw cycles during the use of matrigel；

7、Liquid matrigel will gel quickly above 8℃ (especially high-concentration matrigel). Therefore, consumables that come into contact with matrigel must be pre-chilled (such as pipettes, tips, EP tubes, etc.), and the entire experiment must be carried out aseptically and on ice；

8、Matrigel should remain liquid when used on ice. If it has already solidified on ice, this indicates that the aliquoting process failed to maintain a low temperature, causing the matrigel to gel and making it unsuitable for further use；

9、If matrigel stored in a 4℃ refrigerator is very viscous but still liquid, it can be placed in a -20℃ pre-chilled ice pack and then transferred to a -20℃ freezer for 3-5 minutes. Its流动性 will generally return to normal. If not, it may be due to the refrigerator temperature being too high, causing the matrigel to gel. It is recommended not to use it in this case.

IV. Q&A

Q1: Why is my matrigel very viscous?

A1:The higher the protein concentration of the matrigel, the more viscous the gel. If the concentration is above 13.0mg/mL, the matrigel will appear very viscous. Undiluted matrigel products are naturally viscous. Viscous high-concentration matrigel can be used directly without dilution, such as for cultivating tumor cells and/or angiogenic factors. When injected into mice, cells can remain in place for in situ analysis and/or subsequent resection. Alternatively, it can be diluted and used according to the standard methods for matrigel products, with the specific dilution concentration determined based on experimental requirements.

A2:In addition to the high concentration of the product itself causing viscosity, the state of the matrigel is also related to temperature fluctuations during transportation and storage conditions. The entire transportation process must use dry ice transportation. If the refrigerator storing the matrigel has an automatic defrosting function, the temperature increase during defrosting may cause the matrigel to gel. Therefore, it is imperative not to store matrigel in a refrigerator with an automatic defrosting function. To ensure the effectiveness of matrigel usage, the number of freeze-thaw cycles should be minimized as much as possible. Special note: The heat transfer of water, ice, ice-water mixtures, and air differs, with air heat transfer being particularly slow and uneven. Therefore, matrigel should not be directly placed in a 2-8℃ refrigerator for thawing. It must be placed in an ice pack/ice-water mixture and then transferred to a 0-4℃ refrigerator for thawing.

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