Abstract: Methods and apparatus use low temperature and elevated pressure to depress the freezing and melting temperature of water and aqueous solutions, to induce suspended animation in materials including but not limited to biological material, soluble molecules, organic and inorganic compounds. Disposing such materials in a pressure vessel and increasing the pressure to about 210 MPa depresses the freezing and melting temperature of water, biological matter, and materials in aqueous solution, to about ?22° C. Storage at low temperature under high pressure suspends metabolic activity and induces cryostasis. The methods and apparatus may be used for cryo-banking biological materials that cannot be frozen or vitrified, or otherwise preserved, including, but not limited to, cells, tissues, human organs for transplantation, and entire organisms.

Abstract: This invention uses low temperature and elevated pressure to induce suspended animation by depressing the freezing and melting temperature of water and aqueous solutions, including but not limited to biological materials, soluble molecules, organic and inorganic compounds. Increasing the pressure to ˜210 MPa in a container depresses the freezing and melting temperature of water, biological matter, and materials in aqueous solution, to ˜?22° C. Storage at low temperature under high pressure suspends metabolic activity and induces cryostasis. This invention can be used for cryo-banking biological materials that cannot be frozen or vitrified, or otherwise preserved, including, but not limited to, cells, tissues, human organs for transplantation or entire organisms.