Computational optimisation of cooling profiles for cryopreservation of cells

The cryopreservation of biological materials is a highly complex process, as it involves numerous factors such as the cooling and thawing procedures, administration of cryoprotective agents (CPAs), as well as cell type and composition. While theoretical work has resulted in a better understanding of the processes occurring during cryopreservation, the design of protocols and their parameters is still based on heuristic optimisation. This means that for each individual cell, an extensive trial and error wet lab work is required to find the best combination of factors.

We have developed the software package CryoDynaMo, an extension of the BioDynaMo platform. BioDynaMo can model the mechanics of single cells and tissues using inter-cellular forces, osmotic pressure, chemical diffusion, and intercellular forces. CryoDynaMo extends on it to model the cryopreservation process for cells in suspension.

In this talk, I will present two major findings from our work. Firstly, the post-thaw survival prediction for three different organisms/cell types, and its quality assessment with data obtained from the literature and experimental results. Secondly, a novel findings on how to improve post-thaw survival of cells in suspension using multi-stepped cooling protocols.