Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 14, 2026
09:50
Measuring the Densities of Aqueous Glasses at Cryogenic Temperatures
Published on: June 28, 2017
Can thermal expansion differences between cryopreserved tissue and cryoprotective agents alone cause cracking?
Paul S Steif1, Daniel A Noday, Yoed Rabin
1Biothermal Technology Laboratory, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213, USA.
Cryo Letters
|March 24, 2010
Summary
Cracking during cryopreservation can be caused by thermal expansion differences between tissues and cryoprotectants. Understanding these stresses is key to improving large-scale tissue cryopreservation techniques.
Area of Science:
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cryobiology
- Materials Science
Background:
- Fracture formation is a major limitation in large-scale cryopreservation of tissues.
- Temperature gradients causing non-uniform thermal contraction are a primary cause of cracking.
- Advancements in cryoprotectants may reduce temperature gradients, highlighting other stress factors.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of thermal expansion mismatch between tissues and cryoprotectants in stress development during cryopreservation.
- To analyze thermal stress generation in the context of vitrification (glass formation) for cryopreservation.
Main Methods:
- Utilized recently obtained experimental data.
- Employed engineering models for thermal stress development analysis.
- Focused on cryopreservation via vitrification, avoiding ice crystal formation.
Main Results:
- The study addresses the contribution of thermal expansion mismatch to mechanical stress.
- Analysis is based on experimental data and engineering models for thermal stress.
- Vitrification avoids crystal formation, leading to a gradual fluid-to-solid transition.
Conclusions:
- Thermal expansion mismatch is a significant factor in cryopreservation-induced cracking, especially when temperature gradients are minimized.
- Engineering models and experimental data are crucial for understanding and mitigating these stresses.
- Further research into material properties is needed for optimizing vitrification protocols for bulky tissues.
Related Concept Videos
01:27Frost Action on Concrete
Concrete structures in cold climates, such as those along roadsides, can retain moisture. This moisture makes them susceptible to frost-related damage when temperatures fall below freezing. Adding moisture worsens the damage during temperature fluctuations, leading to repeated freezing and thawing. De-icing salts, spread over these structures to melt ice, add to the freeze-thaw cycle, and draw even more moisture into the concrete.
This freeze-thaw cycle primarily causes surface scaling, where...
This freeze-thaw cycle primarily causes surface scaling, where...
01:09Thermal Stress
If the temperature of an object is changed while it is prevented from expanding or contracting, the object is subjected to stress. The stress is compressive if the object expands in the absence of constraint and tensile if it contracts. This stress resulting from temperature change is known as thermal stress. It can be quite large and can cause damage. To avoid this stress, engineers may design components so they can expand and contract freely. For instance, on highways, gaps are deliberately...
01:28Cryo-electron Microscopy
Conventional electron microscopy (EM) involves dehydration, fixation, and staining of biological samples, which distorts the native state of biological molecules and results in several artifacts. Also, the high-energy electron beam damages the sample and makes it difficult to obtain high-resolution images. These issues can be addressed using cryo-EM, which uses frozen samples and gentler electron beams. The technique was developed by Jacques Dubochet, Joachim Frank, and Richard Henderson, for...
01:32Tissue Homogenization and Cell Lysis
Tissue homogenization involves disintegrating tissue architecture and lysing cells, and is an early step in isolating and analyzing cellular components. The method used for homogenization depends on the sample type, the amount of sample available, the analyte to be obtained, and the sensitivity of the method. These methods are broadly classified as mechanical and non-mechanical methods.
Mechanical methods of tissue homogenization
These methods rely on applying external physical force to disrupt...
Mechanical methods of tissue homogenization
These methods rely on applying external physical force to disrupt...
01:22Thermal Expansion
The expansion of alcohol in a thermometer is one of many commonly encountered examples of thermal expansion, which is the change in size or volume of a given system as its temperature changes. The most visible example is the expansion of hot air. When air is heated, it expands and becomes less dense than the surrounding air, which then exerts an upward force on the hot air to, for example, make steam and smoke rise, and hot air balloons float. The same behavior happens in all liquids and gases,...
01:27Thermal expansion and Thermal stress: Problem Solving
San Francisco's Golden Gate Bridge is exposed to temperatures ranging from -15 °C to 40 °C. At its coldest, the main span of the bridge is 1275 m long. Assuming that the bridge is made entirely of steel, what is the change in its length between these temperatures?
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55 °C.
To solve the problem, first, identify the known and unknown quantities. The initial length (L) of the bridge is 1275 m, the coefficient of linear expansion (α) for steel is 12 x 10-6/°C, and the change in temperature (ΔT) is 55 °C.