Cryopreservation of animal and human cell lines

The long-term storage of human and animal cell lines is a relatively new branch of the science of cryopreservation of living organisms. The need to maintain the increasing numbers of cell lines, as they started to emerge from research laboratories from the mid-1900s, necessitated a radical approach to the problem. The realization that they could survive cryopreservation, and that a slow rate of cooling is essential for this survival, led to the eventual discovery of cryoprotectants. Subsequent development of mechanical freezers, which can accurately control the rate of cooling, now allows cells to be cryopreserved at their maximum viability. This chapter outlines the essentials steps for the successful preparation, freezing, and storage of cell lines.