Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25° C. to less than about 40° C., most preferably at 37° C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37° C.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25° C. to less than about 40° C., most preferably at 37° C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37° C.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried eukaryotic cells. The eukaryotic cells are loaded with an oligosaccharide (e.g., trehalose) which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The oligosaccharide loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25° C. to less than about 50° C., more preferably at about 35° C., with the loading solution having the oligosaccharide in an amount from about 10 mM to about 100 mM. These freeze-dried eukaryotic cells are rehydratable. A process for preserving and/or increasing the survival of dehydrated eukaryotic cells, including storing dehydrated eukaryotic cells having a residual water content greater than about 0.15 gram of water per gram of dry weight eukaryotic cells.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25° C. to less than about 40° C., most preferably at 37° C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37° C.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried platelets. The platelets are loaded with trehalose which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. The trehalose loading is conducted at a temperature of from greater than about 25° C. to less than about 40° C., most preferably at 37° C., with the loading solution having trehalose in an amount from about 10 mM to about 50 mM. These freeze-dried platelets are substantially shelf-stable and are rehydratable so as to have a normal response to an agonist, for example, thrombin, with virtually all of the platelets participating in clot formation within about three minutes at 37° C.