Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Stockholm, a prominent Swedish medical university home to the Nobel Assembly, faced a significant setback as research samples gathered over decades were destroyed due to a freezer malfunction during the Christmas holidays.
Stored in cryogenic tanks cooled with liquid nitrogen at -190°C, the samples were crucial for various research initiatives.
Between December 22 and 23, a malfunction occurred in the supply of liquid nitrogen to 16 cryogenic tanks, as reported by the Guardian.
Despite the tanks being designed to withstand up to four days without additional liquid nitrogen, they were left without it for five days, resulting in the destruction of samples from multiple institutions. The timing, just a day before Christmas Eve, added to the gravity of the situation.
Estimated loss and impact on Leukemia research
While media outlets suggested an estimated value of 500 million kronor ($46 million) for the lost samples, Matti Sällberg, the dean of KI’s southern campus, told the Guardian that no official estimate had been made but acknowledged it was easily in the millions.
The most severely affected area is leukemia research, with samples spanning up to 30 years from patients now irretrievably lost.
The university has launched an internal investigation to ascertain the cause of the freezer malfunction. Despite no immediate signs of sabotage, the incident has been reported to the police, covering all bases in understanding the circumstances.
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Sällberg clarified that, as of now, there is no indication of external interference, but the police report was filed for comprehensive exploration.
The destroyed samples were exclusively dedicated to research and would not affect the ongoing care of patients. However, their intended use in future studies has been severely compromised.
(With inputs from agencies)
