STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN – Decades worth of research samples were lost when a freezer malfunctioned at the Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm during the Christmas holidays. The samples, which were stored in tanks cooled with liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -190C, were destroyed due to an interruption in the supply of liquid nitrogen to 16 cryogenic tanks.
The incident took place between December 22 and 23, when the supply of liquid nitrogen was interrupted for five days, leading to the destruction of samples from multiple institutions. The estimated value of the samples lost was reported to be about 500m kronor (£37m), although no official estimate had been made.
Some of the worst affected researchers were those studying leukemia, who had collected samples from patients over a period of up to 30 years. Although the samples were strictly for research and would not affect the care of current patients, they were intended for future research.
An internal investigation has been launched at the university, and the incident has been reported to the police. While there is currently no indication of sabotage, the incident has been reported to the police as a precautionary measure to cover all bases.
The timing of the incident was particularly unfortunate, as it occurred just one day before Christmas Eve in Sweden. The destruction of the samples has raised concerns about the potential impact on future research studies, as well as the financial and scientific implications for the affected institutions.
The Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm is home to the Nobel Assembly, which is responsible for selecting the winner of the Nobel Prize in physiology or medicine. The incident has cast a shadow over the renowned institution and has prompted questions about the measures in place to prevent such losses in the future.