Ice formation
Crystal growth can damage cells as water changes phase.
Persist Bio · research
Science & Technology
Understanding why ordinary freezing damages tissue, and why the right molecule is central to vitrification.
The preservation problem
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Cold can preserve time. Ice destroys structure.
The body is roughly 60% water. Freeze tissue conventionally and sharp ice crystals can form, disrupting the membranes and structures preservation is meant to protect.
Toxicity
Conventional cryoprotectants can require concentrations that impair recovery.
Organ scale
Large structures make uniform distribution and revival substantially harder.
The temperature descent
Five thresholds shape the story.
+37°CIschaemia beginsAn organ leaves the body's controlled environment and time starts working against it.
0°CWater freezesIce crystals become the immediate structural threat.
−80°CIce growthConventional CPAs face toxicity and concentration limits.
−130°CGlass transitionVitrification aims to avoid crystalline ice by forming a glass-like state.
Below −130°CCryogenic storageStorage below the glass transition frames the ambition of future organ banking.
Scientific imaging
Seeing where preservation succeeds and fails.
Imaging provides a way to inspect structural change and compare outcomes across preservation conditions.
The research direction
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Design the molecule, not the machine.
Persist Bio's stated direction is molecule-led: exploring cryoprotective agents intended to reduce ice formation while addressing toxicity and organ-scale constraints.
Candidate discovery
Computational guidance can help prioritize which molecular candidates deserve laboratory testing.
Laboratory validation
Predictions only become meaningful when tested against biological performance.
Reversibility
Functional recovery after warming remains the standard that ultimately matters.