<p>Long-term storage and transportation of live mammalian cells are critical for research, diagnostics, and clinical applications. Conventional methods rely on cryopreservation using dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) and shipping on dry ice or in liquid nitrogen. However, these approaches present several challenges including hazardous material regulations, excessive cost, environmental concerns, and logistical difficulties in handling and packaging. Short-term transport of adherent cells in culture flasks is another alternative, but limited cell viability, contamination risk, and medium leakage significantly limit its practicality. In this study, we have developed an eco-friendly and safe protocol for short-term preservation and ambient temperature transport of cancer cells using the BioCaRGOS platform. BioCaRGOS is a silica-based sol-gel matrix that allows non-destructive encapsulation of live cells in a semi-solid gel state. We optimized sol-gel concentrations (ranging from 0.5% to 2.5% v/v) and identified that extremely low concentrations of silica of ~ 0.5% v/v as the most effective formulation for cell storage as well as recovery. A549 lung adenocarcinoma cells encapsulated in BioCaRGOS retained high viability (~ 80%) after one week of storage at room temperature and preserved their morphological features and growth characteristics upon recovery. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of BioCaRGOS as a non-toxic, cost-effective, and scalable solution for short-term, ambient temperature storage and transportation of live cancer cells offering a promising alternative to conventional cryopreservation and transportation techniques.</p>