Advances in induced anhydrobiosis for cell and gamete storage.

Abstract

It will appear strange to most readers, but lyophilization of spermatozoa was described by Chris Polge's first article that demonstrated the viability of spermatozoa stored in liquid nitrogen (LN₂₎. Since then, cryopreservation has become the only biobanking choice. The demonstration that lyophilized spermatozoa remain fertile has rekindled interest in noncryogenic biobanking. This perspective has recently been embraced by engineers, physicists, and anhydrobiotic physiologists, and their synergy has remarkably advanced the field. Progress in water subtraction procedures and dehydration medium formulated by biomimicking anhydrobiotic organisms has brought spermatozoa drying close to practical application for biodiversity preservation and human-assisted reproduction, allowing at the same time easy and safe transport of genetic resources on Earth and eventually space travel.