Cryopreservation: The secret of modern preservation of brewer’s yeasts – minireview

Abstract

The aim of the long-term preservation of cells, tissues and organs is to maintain their cellular structures and biological functions for as long as possible. Cryopreservation is a process where biological material is stored and preserved at very low temperatures. However, freezing and thawing processes can cause irreversible cell damage, which is related to formation of ice crystals, osmotic stress, accumulation of reactive forms of oxygen, etc. Therefore the cell viability depends mainly on the freezing rate, the composition of the cryoprotective medium as well as on the thawing rate. Using a suitable cryoprotective medium can increase the viability rate of the yeasts after “revitalization“. Appropriate pre-cultivation before freezing also plays an important role. These facts show that cell freezing and thawing processes must be controlled to avoid cell damage.