| 摘要 |
A method of shelf preserving biologically active specimens by vitrifying them, i.e., dehydrating them in such a way as to achieve a true glass state at storage temperature by subsequent cooling. The method is founded upon the recognition that to store samples in a true glass state the dehydration temperature of the material to be dehydrated must be higher than the suggested storage temperature. Because the vitrification temperature quickly decreases with increasing water content (for example, pure water vitrifies at Tg=-145° C., whereas 80 percent by weight sucrose solution vitrifies at Tg=-40 ° C. and anhydrous sucrose vitrifies at Tg=60° C.) the sample needs to be strongly dehydrated to increase the Tg above the temperature of storage (Ts). As determined by the inventor, the dehydration temperature should be selected as higher than the suggested storage temperature, and the glass state is subsequently achieved by cooling after dehydration.
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