"The development of low toxicity cryoprotectants and cryopreservation techniques."

细胞可以冷却到非常低的温度，停止它们的新陈代谢，并允许它们无限期储存。然而，由于冷冻损伤和冷冻保护剂的毒性，这一过程会导致细胞活力和功能的显著丧失。该项目将利用各种技术来减少低温保存过程中的损害。众所周知，细胞内结冰对细胞是高度致命的。开发有效的冷冻保护剂将通过了解样品中形成冰的位置而得到加强。因此，拉曼显微镜将用于成像细胞冷冻过程中细胞内和细胞外的冰形成。传统的溶剂冷冻保护剂，如DMSO，对细胞有损害，如果将这些细胞移植到人体中，可能会造成不良影响。本文将合成并测试一种新型无毒的小分子穿透性冷冻保护剂，以减少冷冻保存所需的溶剂量。拉曼显微镜将用于绘制细胞内这种冷冻保护剂的存在，并确定其与冰形成的关系。

Cells can be cooled to very low temperatures, halting their metabolism and allowing them to be stored indefinitely. However, this process results in a significant loss of viability and cell function due to freezing damage and cryoprotectant toxicity. This project will utilise a variety of techniques to minimise damage during the cryopreservation process. Intracellular ice formation is known to be highly lethal to cells. Developing effective cryoprotectants will be enhanced by an awareness of where ice is forming in a sample. As such, Raman microscopy will be used to image intracellular and extracellular ice formation during cell freezing. Traditional solvent cryoprotectants such as DMSO are damaging to cells and can cause adverse effects if those cells are transplanted into humans. A new non-toxic small molecular penetrating cryoprotectant will be synthesised and tested, with the aim of reducing the amount of solvent needed for cryopreservation. Raman microscopy will be used to map the intracellular presence of this cryoprotectant and determine its relationship to ice formation.