Unveiling Cells' Local Environment during Cryopreservation by Correlative Spatial and Thermal Analyses.

Cryopreservation is the only fully established procedure to extend the lifespan of living cells and tissues, a key to activities spanning from fundamental biology to clinical practice. Despite its prevalence and impact, the central aspects of cryopreservation, such as the cell's physicochemical environment during freezing, remain elusive. Here we address that question by coupling microscopic directional freezing to visualize cells and their surroundings during freezing with the freezing-medium phase diagram.