Cell Preservation Services Inc (CPSI) develops new approached for low temperature storage of cellular system. CPSI's strategy is designed around the molecular events underlying cell death cascades that are launched due to extensive cell stress. Once known, methods are developed which modulate these cell death processes and improve cell survival. CPSI's scientist?s recent involvement in developing a new cryopreservation media (CryoStor), coupled with current associations with preservation media companies (BioLife Solutions - CryoStor) and other biotech companies who distribute primary human liver and skin cells, has precipitated CPSI's interest in further exploring in situ cryopreservation methodologies and devices to bulk freeze (process) multiwell dishes containing human cells. The proposed investigations build upon approaches and studies that current CPSI scientists have been working on since the late-1990?s. The intent of this proposal is to accomplish the following: SA1 - Identify the best carrier medium to use as the cryopreservation solution for in situ cryopreservation; SA2 - Test a cocktail of cryoprotective agents to determine those that confer the maximum cryoprotection; SA3 - Test different cell adhesion and culture matrices for their abilities to maximize the adhesion of human cells subsequent to thawing; SA4 - Test proprietary cell culture plates to identify suitable candidates for the process. SA5- Identify cooling rates that maximize cell survival; SA6 ? Compare cell viability and function in cells preserved in situ to those preserved using conventional suspended technology. Phase II will be dedicated to scaling up the process for high throughput screening (i.e. 384 well plates, one year storage time at -80C). CPSI plans to license the developed technology to both small biotechnology companies and large pharmaceutical industries in Phase III.
