A ready-to-use system designed to simplify the storage and retrieval of bacterial and fungal cultures. Comprised of a unique cryovial system incorporating treated beads and a special cryopreservative solution Microbank™ provides a more reliable means of maintaining important cultures than repetitive subculture, which can result in contaminated cultures, lost organisms or changed characteristics. The specially formulated preservative ensures longer survival of fastidious cultures and higher quantitative recoveries. Each 2.0 ml Microbank™ vial contains approximately 25 beads, providing repeated cultures of the original organism using a simple procedure.