The results of twenty years of research are accidentally destroyed by the chargé d’affaires

More than two decades of research material was rendered useless when an official at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) in New York shut down a refrigerator full of priceless cell cultures because it was making “annoying beeps,” reports say. gizmodo. The institute is now demanding more than $1 million in damages from the recruiting firm that used the problem.

The story began on September 14, 2020, when one of the institute’s professors and his team noticed that the freezer alarm was beeping and the temperature had dropped from -80°C to -78°C. This is problematic because, according to the indictment, even a small temperature fluctuation can cause catastrophic damage, resulting in the loss of many cell cultures and samples.

To prevent this they contacted the manufacturer of the freezer but were unable to send a mechanic until a week later due to restrictions due to Covid. Fortunately, the researchers were able to temporarily stabilize the temperature inside and put up a sign saying: No one should touch the cooler containing the precious specimens. However, during the evening cleaning Joseph Herrington, who used to work for Daigle Cleaning Systems Inc. He turns off the freezer because he thinks it’s making noise.

The guardian claims he just wanted to help and thought he was doing a good job, though this is contradicted by the fact that in addition to the warning label, the researchers installed a safety lock on the freezer outlet and socket as a precaution.

However, the man used a circuit breaker to cut off the sound as well as the cooling. The research institute said in the lawsuit that it does not blame Herrington, but rather the company that hired him: according to them, the man was not properly trained for the job.