UK- Researchers using cell culture have a great reason to celebrate as a new method of freezing cells for research, using polymer technology created at the University of Warwick has been validated. The method can bring about speedier results for scientists.
Cells attached as monolayers which are grown on plastic are implemented for drug discovery, toxicology, biomaterials and other life science research. Cryopreservation is the process of freezing biological material at extremely low temperatures in liquid nitrogen to maintain the structure of the components. The Cryopreservation of cells while attached to plastic has always been a stumbling block for researchers, however the new method permits cells to be stored frozen attached to the plastic, and are available for use direct from the freezer eliminating a major obstacle in drug discovery research.
The University of Warwick’s Department of Chemistry and Warwick Medical School, collaborated with biotech Cryologyx Ltd. The polymer technology created over the years at the University of Warwick plays a critical role in this technique.
Research conducted for the development of new drugs or examining the properties of cells while attached to plastic and the ability to remove them from frozen conditions, thaw them and use it would be perfect, as a primary concern in cell culture is contamination and cell destruction. Cryopreserved cells are usually thawed for over 7 days prior to use which is a major hurdle as a large proportion of time is taken growing cells rather than researching them.
When discovering new drugs, or understanding fundamental cell biology, most cells are studied whilst attached to tissue culture plastic (adherent cells). Ideally, researchers would just take cells out of the freezer, thaw them, and then use them. However the present cryopreservation techniques only permits cells to be stored in suspension, where researchers must thaw, and then grow, the cells for 7 -14 days before use, whereas the new technology can help simplify things for researchers where cells can be thawed in less than 24 hours.
