BioCision LLC: Press release

CoolCell Replaces Conventional Cryopreservation Tools, Offers Improved Cell
Freezing and Viability 

MILL VALLEY, Calif., 2011-04-14 08:30 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
 Roslin Cellab, the preeminent incubator for stem cell research and a leading
provider of stem cell research services to life sciences companies, has
selected BioCision's®CoolCell® freezing container for cryopreservation of human
embryonic stem cell lines. The decision by Roslin Cellab - a subsidiary of the
Roslin Foundation and sister company to Roslin Cells, a world leader in the
isolation of new clinical grade undifferentiated stem cells for use in research
and therapy - comes after a comprehensive review of the CoolCell product line.
CoolCell will replace the organization's conventional cryopreservation tools
sitewide. 

"This is by far and away the best benchtop technology to enter the field of
cell cryopreservation for decades. We have compared the BioCision CoolCell to
our old conventional method of cryopreservation and found it to be easier,
safer and most importantly of all, our cell lines were recovered with
reproducibly higher viability yields post-thaw, and subsequent ongoing growth
was improved," said John Gardner, senior project leader at Roslin Cellab. "This
suggests that the freezing rate is more accurate than the isopropyl alcohol
method, which is crucial if a cell line is to survive cryopreservation." 

Roslin Cellab assists scientists and technologists with proof-of-concept
research, with the goal of translating stem cell research into commercially
viable technologies. It supports collaborative research and provides a wide
array of services for life sciences companies interested in engaging in stem
cell research. 

The organization had been using a cell freezing container that required the use
of 100 percent isopropyl alcohol for stepwise (-1ºC/minute) cooling of cell
lines in a 80ºC freezer. This method requires frequent changes of the isopropyl
alcohol, a cumbersome and expensive process that demands constant maintenance
and yields variable results. 

"Roslin Cellab's deployment of CoolCell represents an important validation for
our technology. We believe our alcohol-free CoolCell is enhancing
cryopreservation for stem cells, PBMCs, cell lines and other cell types, as
well as in other areas of research in which the accuracy of freezing rates is
critical," said BioCision CEO Rolf Ehrhardt, MD, PhD. "Labs at institutions
such as Stanford University and University of California, San Francisco that
are engaged in stem cell and other cell-based research are increasingly
adopting our products to ensure the accuracy of their research." 

BioCision's CoolCell is ideal for cell lines, stem cells, PBMC, primary cells
and yeast. Designed with a patent-pending controlled-freezing technology,
CoolCell offers many advantages over alcohol-filled containers, including no
maintenance, no on-going cost and no hazardous waste. With the elimination of
alcohol, CoolCell delivers a highly reproducible, consistent cooling rate of
-1ºC/minute and identical freezing profiles each time. The result is superior
cell viability and function, and more reliable cell assays. 

In addition to the CoolCell products, Roslin Cellab is deploying BioCision's
ThermalTray™ and CoolRack® modules, which eliminate direct sample contact with
ice, water or liquid nitrogen and enhance sterility procedures when handling
vials for tissue culture procedures. The ThermalTray platforms and CoolRack
modules provide a safe and reproducible option for snap-freezing. The
additional option of placing the modules in a 37oC water bath aids the sterile
thawing of cryovials, and delivers consistent and reproducible thawing
profiles. 

"The combination of controlled freezing with the CoolCell and controlled
temperature for thawing greatly increases the reproducibility of the
freeze-thaw process, with increased cell viability and cell growth post-thaw.
The versatility of the system is simply brilliant," Roslin Cellab's Gardner
said. "The ThermalTray and CoolRack would greatly benefit the process of
transferring frozen cell lines using a dry shipper between laboratories.
Transfer from the dry shipper to a tray can be achieved quickly without any
thawing; the vials are maintained frozen in the tray while they are transferred
to laboratory. This also eliminates the transfer of the dry shipper into the
tissue culture suite, which is a source of potential contamination." 

About BioCision

BioCision is the leading developer of portable benchtop tools for
temperature-sensitive biomedical specimens and samples used in basic research,
assay development, biomarker studies, diagnostics and clinical trials. 

The company's patent-pending novel alloy sample modules enable standardized
collection, protection and high reproducibility of sample freezing, thawing and
cooling. The advantages of ease of use, elimination of user error and highly
reproducible performance have led to BioCision's products - CoolRack®, CoolBox™
and CoolCell® - becoming the new standard for benchtop sample management. 

BioCision's products have been adopted by pharmaceutical and biotechnology
companies, contract research organizations, and academic and healthcare
institutions worldwide. Headquartered in Mill Valley, California, BioCision was
founded by a group of scientists, biomedical engineers and drug development
experts. For more information, visit www.biocision.com. 

The BioCision LLC logo is available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=9488 

         CONTACT: Susan Thomas, for BioCision,
         (510) 381-5181, stcommunications@aol.com
         
         or
         
         BioCision
         Rolf Ehrhardt, CEO, (888) 478-2221
         rolf@biocision.com