Grant: Idea to Innovation

This project aims to develop new methods for prolonged storage of tissues and genetic materials. The storage of cells, tissues and genetic material is desirable to improve human health, for biobanking and to develop assisted reproductive technology methods. However, current methods being used for storage of tissues and genetic material involve chemical that can cause toxicity and change the genetic profile of stored materials. Therefore, there is a need to find alternative methods that are non-toxic and inert and can be used for storage of tissues and genetic materials for health applications. We have recently developed a vitamin B5 based technology that has shown excellent capacity to store mammalian cells under freezing conditions. In this project, we will optimize this technology further to produce formulations that can successfully store genetic materials and tissues for various applications.