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A container for elongated objects, such as microtubes or vials, comprising a frame having a base and sides, a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections having at least two movement-resistant positions, and a rack with a plurality of holes or collars. The rack or interior bottom of the container may ha

A container for elongated objects, such as microtubes or vials, comprising a frame having a base and sides, a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections having at least two movement-resistant positions, and a rack with a plurality of holes or collars. The rack or interior bottom of the container may have features that discourage rotation of the microtubes or vials. The containers may further comprise microtubes or vials, which may be empty or filled with, for example, reagents, such as reagents for use in a predetermined process. A system of stackable carriers may be provided to hold and allow one-handed removal of a plurality of containers. The container may desirably permit one-handed opening and closing of the container and any vials contained therein, and the various lid positions may be suitable for submersion in an ice bath as well as standing upright on a laboratory bench.

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1. A container for holding a plurality of microtubes or vials, the container comprising: a frame having a base, front and back faces, and sides;a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections, each lid section having an edge between a top portion of the lid section and a face portion of the lid section, e

1. A container for holding a plurality of microtubes or vials, the container comprising: a frame having a base, front and back faces, and sides;a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections, each lid section having an edge between a top portion of the lid section and a face portion of the lid section, each lid section pivotally attached to a side of the frame, the container having a movement-resistant fully open position, a movement-resistant closed position in which the lid sections cooperate with one another to provide a completely enclosed container, and a movement-resistant intermediate position between the open position and the closed position in which the lid section faces are perpendicular to the front and back faces of the frame;a rack mounted within the frame, the rack comprising a plurality of holes or collars, each hole or collar sized to receive an intermediate portion of the microtubes or vials;one or more microtubes or vials contained within respective ones of the plurality of holes or collars of the rack; anda plurality of detent mechanisms provided on at least one of the frame and the lid sections, the detent mechanisms positioned to maintain the lid sections in the movement-resistant fully open position, the movement-resistant closed position, and the movement-resistant intermediate position. 2. The container of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of bottom receptors in an interior lower portion of the container each for receiving a bottom portion of one of the microtubes or vials. 3. The container of claim 1, wherein the container further comprises one or more anti-rotation features for cooperating with features of the microtubes or vials to discourage rotation of the elongated objects when housed in the container. 4. The container of claim 3, wherein the one or more anti-rotation features comprise a plurality of notches or grooves in the holes or collar of the rack, the plurality of notches or grooves sized and spaced to cooperate with ridges on an exterior of the microtubes or vials. 5. The container of claim 3, wherein the container further comprises a plurality of bottom receptors in an interior lower portion of the container each for receiving a bottom portion of one of the elongated objects, and the one or more anti-rotation features comprises one or more grooves or notches in each of the plurality of bottom receptors adapted to mate with tabs or ridges on the bottom portion of one of the microtubes or vials. 6. A container designed to hold a plurality of microtubes or vials, the container comprising: a frame having a base, front and back faces, and sides;a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections each having a face, each lid section attached to a side of the frame, the container having a movement-resistant fully open position, a movement-resistant closed position in which the lid sections cooperate with one another to provide providing a completely enclosed container, and a movement-resistant intermediate position between the open position and the closed position in which the lid section faces are perpendicular to the front and back faces of the frame, the lid having a resistance to closure when in the fully open position, a resistance to opening when in the closed position, and a resistance to closure or opening when in the movement-resistant intermediate position;a rack mounted within the frame, the rack comprising a plurality of holes or collars, each hole or collar sized to receive an intermediate portion of the microtubes or vials;one or more microtubes or vials contained within respective ones of the plurality of holes or collars of the rack; anda plurality of detent mechanisms provided on at least one of the frame and the lid sections, the detent mechanisms positioned to maintain the lid sections in the movement-resistant fully open position, the movement-resistant closed position, and the movement-resistant intermediate position. 7. The container of claim 1, wherein the container is sized to fit within a user's hand and the lid sections are configured to be moved from the movement-resistant closed position to the movement-resistant fully open position by the user using a single hand. 8. The container of claim 1, wherein the container has outer sides and faces that are smooth except for a thumb grip on a top surface of each lid for aiding one-handed use of the container. 9. A system to store a plurality of microtubes or vials, the system comprising: one or more containers of claim 1; anda carrier for storing one or more containers, the carrier comprising a base, opposite side supports, and a plurality of container-holding sections each sized to accommodate one of the containers. 10. The system of claim 9, wherein the carrier comprises one or more features for enabling one-hand removal of the containers from the carrier. 11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one-hand-removal feature comprises one or more sliders that interfaces with the base, each slider adapted for housing a container and adapted to slide out from the base to enable removal of the container from the slider. 12. The system of claim 10, wherein the one-hand-removal feature comprises a plurality of indentations or cutouts in the base of the carrier that each permit a user's finger access to an underside of a respective container. 13. The system of claim 9, wherein each side support of the carrier has a top and a bottom, a slot on the top of the side support, and a foot on the bottom of the side support, the foot and slot sized such that when an upper carrier is stacked upon a lower carrier, the foot from the upper carrier interlocks with the slot of the lower carrier. 14. A system to store a plurality of microtubes or vials, the system comprising a carrier configured to receive one or more containers of claim 1, the carrier comprising a base, opposite side supports, and a plurality of container-holding sections each sized to accommodate one of the containers in the closed configuration, the carrier comprising a plurality of indentations or cutouts in the base of the carrier that each permit a user's finger access to an underside of a respective container for enabling one-hand removal of the containers from the carrier. 15. The container of claim 1, wherein the one or more microtubes or vials are empty. 16. The container of claim 1, wherein at least one microtube or vial contains a substance. 17. The container of claim 16, wherein the substance comprises a reagent. 18. The container of claim 17, wherein the container comprises a kit for performing a procedure that requires a sufficient amount of one or more substances to perform the procedure, in which the container comprises one or more microtubes or vials collectively containing the sufficient amount of all of the one or more substances required to perform the procedure. 19. A container designed to hold a plurality of microtubes or vials and sized to fit in a user's hand, the container comprising: a frame having a base, front and back faces, and sides;a pair of rotatable opposing lid sections each having a face, each lid section attached to a side of the frame, the container having a movement-resistant fully open position, a movement-resistant closed position in which the lid sections provide a completely enclosed container, and a movement-resistant intermediate position between the open and closed positions in which the faces of the lid sections are perpendicular to the front and back faces of the frame, the lid sections movable between the closed, intermediate, and open positions by the user via one-handed operation the lid having a resistance to closure when in the fully open position, a resistance to opening when in the closed position, and a resistance to closure or opening when in the movement-resistant intermediate position;a rack mounted within the frame, the rack comprising a plurality of holes or collars, each hole or collar sized to receive an intermediate portion of the microtubes or vials;a plurality of bottom receptors in an interior base portion of the frame for receiving a bottom portion of the microtubes or vials;one or more anti-rotation features in the rack, in the bottom receptors, or both, for cooperating with features of the microtubes or vials to discourage rotation of the microtubes or vials when housed in the container;one or more microtubes or vials contained within respective ones of the plurality of holes or collars of the rack; anda plurality of detent mechanisms provided on at least one of the frame and the lid sections, the detent mechanisms positioned to maintain the lid sections in the movement-resistant fully open position, the movement-resistant closed position, and the movement-resistant intermediate position. 20. A carrier and container system for storage of microtubes or vials, the system comprising: one or more containers of claim 19;a carrier for storing one or more containers, the carrier comprising a base, opposite sides, and a plurality of container-holding sections each sized to accommodate one of the containers, the base comprising a plurality of indentations or cutouts sized to permit a user's finger access to an underside of a respective container for one-hand removal of the containers from the carrier, each side support having a top and a bottom, a slot on the top of the side support and a foot on the bottom of the side support, the foot and slot sized such that when an upper carrier is stacked upon a lower carrier, the foot from the upper carrier interlocks with the slot of the lower carrier. 21. The container of claim 19, wherein at least one microtube or vial contains a substance. 22. The container of claim 21, wherein the container comprises a kit for performing a procedure that requires a sufficient amount of one or more substances to perform the procedure, in which the container comprises one or more microtubes or vials collectively containing the sufficient amount of all the one or more substances required to perform the procedure. 23. The container of claim 19, comprising universal anti-rotation features in the bottom receptors designed to interface with a plurality of microtube or vial bottom designs. 24. The container of claim 1, in which the base has a structure configured to permit the container in the closed position to rest on a planar surface in a standing position supported by the base alone. 25. The system of claim 14, wherein each side support has a top and a bottom, a slot on the top of the side support, and a foot on the bottom of the side support, the foot and slot sized such that when an upper carrier is stacked upon a lower carrier, the foot from the upper carrier interlocks with the slot of the lower carrier in a sliding engagement therewith. 26. The container of claim 1, in which the lid sections are configured to cooperate with the base to stabilize the container in a stabilized standing configuration with the edges of the lid sections and the base in contact with a common planar surface not attached to the container, in which the lid face sections define an acute angle relative to the faces of the frame. 27. The container of claim 19, in which the lid sections are configured to cooperate with the base to stabilize the container in a stabilized standing configuration with the edges of the lid sections and the base in contact with a common planar surface not attached to the container, in which the lid face sections define an acute angle relative to the faces of the frame.