Cryobanks store frozen tissues and cells, including human samples for research and cancer treatment, and reproductive tissues for future implantation. Liquid nitrogen is used to preserve materials, and samples are carefully prepared to maintain purity. Cryobanks also have laboratories for preparing and growing cell cultures. Some facilities specialize in sperm and egg donation, while others preserve endangered tissue such as coral.
A cryobank is a medical facility that stores a wide variety of tissues and cells in a deep frozen state. Some cryobanks store human samples such as stem cells which are later used for research or treatment of various types of cancer. Many facilities specialize in fertility and freeze one or both of your sperm and eggs for later use.
These facilities typically have a cryopreservation unit, which is used for the actual storage of materials. Many use liquid nitrogen to preserve tissue or cells, which lowers the temperature below freezing and keeps cells viable for research or other applications. In the case of reproductive tissues, these are kept viable for future implantation in women trying to get pregnant.
The materials are carefully prepared before undergoing the freezing process, in which the water molecules within the samples are frozen. There is usually some tissue loss, but most of the sample remains intact as long as it is frozen. Since the purity of each sample is of vital importance, most cryobanks do not put liquid nitrogen in direct contact with the sample to freeze it. Instead, the samples are placed in freezers and kept separate from the liquid nitrogen, which is instead frozen at room temperature.
Many cryobanks also have a laboratory where scientists or researchers prepare samples for freezing. Before being frozen, samples are kept sterile and free of bacteria that could render them unusable. When reviving specimens, returning them from the freezing process is a delicate procedure that requires sanitary conditions to maintain specimen integrity. Often there is also a part of the cryobank laboratory set up to grow cell cultures from those that have been stored.
Many facilities specialize strictly in sperm and egg donation. Donations can be anonymous and kept until a suitable match is found. Alternatively, those serving in the military or in high-risk jobs may choose to have their genetic material frozen and stored in cryobanks in case something happens to them; in this way, the family line can be carried on after death.
Researchers, scientists and medical professionals are constantly developing new ways to use cryobank facilities. In addition to preserving genetic material and stem cells for research, some facilities are also used to preserve other endangered tissue. Coral reefs are in danger of disappearing, and scientists have even used cryobanks to store samples of different types of coral to ensure their survival.
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