The Genomics of Cryopreservation

Cryopreservation is the process of placing cells, organs or even whole organisms at low temperatures so that they remain in a state of suspended animation and viability is preserved.

Cryobiology is a crucial area of research for modern biotechnology due to the importance of biobanking, from developing reliable stem cell storage systems, organ banking for transplants as well as storage for engineered tissues. At present, cryopreservation technology is only successful for cell lines and very small tissues. More research is required before whole organs can successfully be cryopreserved while retaining their biological integrity. Given the importance of organ transplants and the growing field of tissue engineering, perfecting cryopreservation methods would have a profound impact on medicine.