# Efficient Collection of Skin Biopsies Using the Tissue Sampling Unit® for Subsequent Cryopreservation and Culture of Fibroblasts

## TL;DR

A new method using the Tissue Sampling Unit® efficiently collects skin samples for preserving fibroblasts, useful for genetic research and genebanking.

## Contribution

The study demonstrates the effectiveness of the modified TSU system for clean and efficient skin biopsy collection.

## Key findings

- The TSU system enabled rapid and clean collection of dermal tissue samples.
- Fibroblasts were successfully derived from 7 out of 11 animals using the TSU method.
- The TSU system is viable for genebanking and large-scale sample collection.

## Abstract

Dermal tissue samples are a rich source of germplasm because they can be readily collected, frozen as part of a genebank collection, digested and cultured, and used for a variety of purposes such as genotyping or other forms of genetic research. Derived fibroblasts can also be used for somatic cell nuclear transfer, and the remaining cells can be frozen for future use. However, collection of tissues with ear notchers, scalpels, or biopsy punches can be problematic because tissue handling and the tool surfaces can contaminate the samples. Therefore, the modification of the Allflex Tissue Sampling Unit (TSU) system was explored to determine if the technology can empower rapid collection of clean samples that are easily identifiable and portable. Results indicate that the TSU system was efficient, and samples that were collected and processed for tissue culture resulted in successful derivations of fibroblasts from 7 of 11 animals. Thus, the TSU system appears to be a viable option for collecting and preserving dermal tissue for genebanking and other applications where simple, rapid collection of large quantities of samples is required.