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 method for loading a preservative into a biological sample comprising providing a preservative solution having a preservative, water and protein, and loading a biological sample with the preservative solution to produce a preservative-loaded biological sample having the preservative solution generally including higher glass transition temperatures than glass transition temperatures for a preservative solution having the preservative, water and no protein. A process for processing biological samples comprising suspending biological samples in a preservative solution at a concentration greater than about 108 platelets per ml. of preservative solution to produce preservative-loaded biological samples, freeze-drying the preservative-loaded biological samples, and recovering at least 75% of the freeze-dried biological samples.

Abstract: A process for preparing a dehydrated biological sample comprising providing a biological sample selected from a mammalian species, loading with a solute the biological sample having an alcohol by fluid phase endocytosis to produce an internally loaded biological sample, and drying the loaded biological sample to produce a dehydrated biological sample.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried erythrocytic cells. Alcohol (e.g., sterol or cholesterol) is at least partially removed from erythrocytic cells including erythrocytic membranes. After removal of at least part of the alcohol, the erythrocytic cells have a low phase transition temperature range, an intermediate phase transition temperature range, and a high phase transition temperature range. The erythrocytic cells may be loaded with an oligosaccharide (e.g., trehalose) which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. A process for increasing cooperativity of a phase transition of an erythrocytic cell. A process for preserving and/or increasing the survival of dehydrated erythrocytic cells, including storing dehydrated erythrocytic cells having a residual water content equal to or less than about 0.30 gram of water per gram of dry weight erythrocytic cells.

Abstract: A dehydrated composition is provided that includes freeze-dried erythrocytic cells. Alcohol (e.g., sterol or cholesterol) is at least partially removed from erythrocytic cells including erythrocytic membranes. After removal of at least part of the alcohol, the erythrocytic cells have a low phase transition temperature range, an intermediate phase transition temperature range, and a high phase transition temperature range. The erythrocytic cells may be loaded with an oligosaccharide (e.g., trehalose) which preserves biological properties during freeze-drying and rehydration. A process for increasing cooperativity of a phase transition of an erythrocytic cell. A process for preserving and/or increasing the survival of dehydrated erythrocytic cells, including storing dehydrated erythrocytic cells having a residual water content equal to or less than about 0.30 gram of water per gram of dry weight erythrocytic cells.