✍️ Author: Dr Eleni Christoforidou
🕒 Approximate reading time: 3 minutes
Dedication and meticulousness were the essence of today's lab work, where I found myself entirely immersed in cryopreserving brain cells for future use. An elaborate process, it consumed roughly three hours, uninterrupted, to diligently prepare a modest batch of 10 samples.
Timelapse: The detailed process of cryopreserving cells.
One might wonder about the safeguarding measures taken to prevent these delicate cells from perishing due to freezing during the process. The answer lies in a specific cryoprotectant known as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO). This compound plays a crucial role in the cryopreservation process as it helps curtail the formation of damaging ice crystals, which otherwise would be fatal to the cells.