CSBR: Natural History: Critical cryopreservation upgrades to the University of Alaska Museum's Genomic Resources facility

阿拉斯加费尔班克斯大学（UAF）的阿拉斯加大学博物馆（UAM）获得了一个奖项，以完成其基因组资源设施向最先进的液氮系统的过渡，这是现代冷冻保存的黄金标准。UAM是世界上最大的冷冻动植物组织研究收藏之一。除了其全球范围外，它还拥有无与伦比的北极和亚北极材料，这些材料来自一个正在经历深刻环境变化和人类入侵迅速增加的地区。值得注意的馆藏包括世界上最大和增长最快的海洋哺乳动物组织收藏；每年从六大洲来阿拉斯加繁殖的候鸟样本；以及永久冻土保存的已灭绝更新世生物的组织。向液氮系统的转换将为正在进行和未来的研究和教育工作提供不可估量的宝贵科学资源。几乎所有的冷冻组织都与代金券标本有关，这增加了它们的信息内容，并允许在遗传学和基因组学之外对生物生物学的无数方面进行研究。例如，来自UAM-GR的样本经常被全球科学家用于研究进化、生态学、毒理学、生物医学和许多其他领域的问题。该项目还将对学生进行现代低温保存技术和藏品管理方面的培训，并概述利用UAM正在进行的外联活动的计划，以突出藏品的研究、教育和更广泛的社会效益。这个项目的资助是为了方便购买和安装四个液氮冷冻柜和相关的架子，以取代故障的机械冷冻柜。此外，还将维持一个足以维持8个低温箱生产能力的液氮厂。由此产生的配置代表了68%的空间效率提高，并将容纳目前存放在故障机械冰柜中的所有样品，以及预计20年的持续增长。过渡到完全基于液氮的低温保存系统将提高标本安全性并显着降低能源消耗。该项目将培养研究生和本科生在生物科学领域的尖端低温保存方法和基于标本的研究。UAM-GR将继续面向所有年龄段的游客，包括K-16学生、研究人员、政治家和公众。这些努力将通过制作针对土生土长的阿拉斯加人的播客和视频来加强，这一群体在STEM学科中代表性明显不足。

Abstract An award is made to the University of Alaska Museum (UAM) of the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to complete the transition of its Genomic Resources Facility to a state-of-the-art liquid nitrogen system, the gold standard in modern cryopreservation. UAM is home to one of the largest research collections of frozen animal and plant tissues in the world. In addition to its global scope, it features unparalleled holdings of arctic and subarctic material from a region undergoing profound environmental change and rapidly increasing human encroachment. Notable holdings include the largest and fastest-growing collection of marine mammal tissues in the world; samples from migratory birds that come from six continents to breed in Alaska each year; and permafrost-preserved tissues from extinct Pleistocene organisms. The conversion to a liquid nitrogen system will secure an incalculably valuable scientific resource for ongoing and future research and education efforts. Nearly all frozen tissues are associated with voucher specimens, adding to their information content and allowing for research on countless aspects of organismal biology beyond genetics and genomics. For example, samples from the UAM-GR are routinely used by scientists globally to investigate questions in evolution, ecology, toxicology, biomedicine, and numerous other fields. The project will also train students in modern cryopreservation technology and collection management and outlines plans to leverage ongoing outreach of the UAM to highlight the research, education and wider societal benefits of the collection.This project is funded to facilitate the purchase and installation of four Liquid Nitrogen cryovats and associated racks to replace failing mechanical freezers. Additionally, a liquid nitrogen plant of sufficient production capacity to maintain eight cryovats will be maintained. The resulting configuration represents a 68% increase in space efficiency and will accommodate all samples currently housed in failing mechanical freezers as well as an anticipated 20 years of continued growth. The transition to a cryopreservation system entirely based on liquid nitrogen will enhance specimen security and significantly reduce energy consumption. This project will train graduate and undergraduate students in cutting-edge cryopreservation methods and collections-based research in the biological sciences. Outreach at UAM-GR will continue to target visitors of all ages including K-16 students, researchers, politicians, and the public. These efforts will be augmented through the production of podcasts and videos targeting native Alaskans, a group that is significantly underrepresented in the STEM disciplines.