Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Degree

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Document Type

Thesis

Abstract

Cryopreservation is critical for long-term storage of cells, tissues, organs, and reproductive cells in medicine, biotechnology, and conservation. However, its success is limited by ice formation and cryoinjury, prompting extensive research into analytical tools for understanding and improving cryopreservation outcomes. We outline the principles of each technique and how they are used to detect key thermal and physical events such as ice nucleation, vitrification, devitrification, and cryoinjury. DSC enables quantitative thermal characterization including critical cooling/warming rates (ranging from 1-200°C/min for various systems) and glass transition temperatures. Cryomicroscopy provides direct real time visualization of ice crystal dynamics, distinguishing intracellular versus extracellular ice formation a critical determinant of cell survival. HSI offers non-invasive biochemical assessment, achieving >95% classification accuracy for freeze-thaw damage detection in tissues. This study examines several studies demonstrating how multi-modal approaches combining these techniques provide complementary insights superior to single- method analyses. This research also explores the impacts of cryopreservation on cellular and tissue-level systems using a multimodal experimental method. The mechanical effects of cryopreservation on bovine tendons were assessed through controlled freezing methods, followed by uniaxial tensile tests to measure variations in Young’s modulus, ultimate tensile strength, and failure strain. Simultaneously, the thermal properties of cryopreserved ovarian cancer cells were analyzed using cryomicroscopy and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Cryomicroscopy facilitated immediate observation of ice nucleation and intracellular ice development,


whereas DSC measured the onset temperatures of crystallization and latent heat (ΔH), offering thermodynamic understanding of ice formation processes. Collectively, these results provide a mechanistic insight into cryopreservation-driven phase transitions at the cellular scale and their effects on structural integrity in load-bearing tissues.. By integrating thermal analysis, real-time imaging, and spectroscopic assessment, researchers are addressing critical challenges in cryopreservation and moving toward improved protocols for diverse biological systems from single cells to whole organs. Collectively, these advances are transforming cryopreservation from largely empirical practice into a quantitatively guided, mechanism‑based discipline with the potential to substantially improve the safety, consistency, and scalability of biobanking and transplant-ready graft preservation

Date

3-6-2026

Committee Chair

Ram Devireddy

LSU Acknowledgement

1

LSU Accessibility Acknowledgment

1

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Available for download on Wednesday, June 03, 2026

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