MéCour’s relatively new line of UltraLow Temp thermal control solutions has sparked continuous debates over what low temp setting  is REALLY required to properly freeze samples. Current response is that most samples contained in an aqueous solution are completely frozen at -65°C. Those immersed in a high salt matrix or solvent (e.g., ethanol, methanol) solutions most likely require the -85°C approach to ensure complete  freezing of  the samples.

Not to drive our customers crazy, but we have to pose the questions regarding these certain temperatures as they dictate cost and design of the MéCour thermal control system, and what’s the sense in over building and over paying for a system that’s not required?  It’s been our experience that most potential customers do re-evaluate their requirements and make an informed decision based on what their application really requires in order to produce optimal and reproducible end results.

The next issue that’s always discussed is the manner in which the thermal control system will freeze and thaw your precious samples.  We configure the thermal systems to meet your specific requirements.  As such, we prefer to receive input from you, the customer, to properly fit the system to the particular application. For example, the specific conditions required to maximize recovery in a cell-based system can vary significantly from one set of experimental conditions to another due to sample matrix and cell characteristics – one set of conditions will not necessarily be optimal in all applications.   MéCour thermal  control systems can be configured to accurately, precisely and reproducibly match specified freezing, thawing and ramping conditions from -100°C to 250°C. Reference our site and see how MéCour provides up to a .1 degree per minute cooling/freezing capability and the same for thawing processes down to -100°C and back to whatever suits a customer’s application. The UltraLow Temp solutions are easily made for benchtop, process scale and automated applications.

So if we ask you these types of questions, it's because we need to know to design the best thermal control solution for your needs. Do you know what temperatures you need to run your applications at? We're here to help.