FORGET the fancy chemicals. You can keep cells alive for days simply by
drying them and sticking them in a vacuum-sealed bag.
The discovery could slash the cost of cell implants designed to treat
diseases such as diabetes by making it easier and cheaper to store and ship
cells.
Until now, biologists thought that our cells didn’t have any way of
protecting themselves against drying out. Attempts to store tissues by freezing
or drying have focused on adding the protective chemicals some plants and
animals have evolved to protect their cells
(Â鶹´«Ã½, 21 April, p 7).
Fred Levine’s…
