Live cell shipping specialist Cellbox Solutions GmbH (Hamburg, Germany) has now formally entered the North American market after setting up an office in Rockville, Maryland.
The company is the developer of patented Cellbox technology, a transportable CO2 incubator that hit the European market in 2019. The company has also developed packaging compliant with UN3373 standards for biological substances.
While Cellbox previously served the U.S. market through a distribution partner, the U.S. subsidiary will increase its presence in the U.S. “Expanding into the U.S. market, which is a leader in cell and gene therapy, was, therefore, the next logical step,” said Wolfgang Kintzel, CEO of Cellbox Solutions GmbH.
Cellbox technology
The company’s Cellbox technology can maintain a temperature between 28–38ºC while providing a regulated CO2 environment. The technology works with a rechargeable Li-ION battery with an external 100-230V power supply. The system logs data about shipping conditions via a data-logging app.
Cellbox traces its origins to research at the Fraunhofer Research Institution for Marine Biotechnology and Cell Technology in Lübeck, Germany.
Researchers at the facility required a mode of transport for cells at 37° and 5% CO2. A group of researchers, including engineers and biologists, thus began developing the foundation for the Cellbox, developing the first prototype within 18 months.