X-Message-Number: 10151
From: 
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:25:15 EDT
Subject: CI research

Richard Gillman (#10144) asks what CI has done for us lately in research,
noting that the Research page on our web site refers to past work.

The answer is that for the moment our focus is on completing our newest and
largest cryostat; this will take a couple of more months. After that, we plan
to outsource our cryostats and focus the attention of our staff (as well as
our consultants) on new research. On the agenda:

Dr.Pichugin's work will depend on how his personal situation shapes up in the
next couple of months. He has plenty of plans, all aimed at improving cryonic
suspension procedures.

Our own work will be planned at HQ but conducted, in the case of work with
animals, off site. We do no experimentation on live animals in any case. If we
need a freshly dead animal, the animal is anaesthetized and euthanized under
the supervision of a veterinary in an upstate location. 

We expect to work, when feasible, with people at local universities, either in
conducting the work or evaluating the results, or both.

With these preliminaries, some of our projects include:

1. Modifications of our suspension procedure or/and perfusate to reduce
freezing damage, while still minimizing delay. This will include tests of
cryoprotectants that have been insufficiently studied.

2. Freeze drying--insufficiently investigated so far.

3. Chemical fixation--insufficiently investigated so far.

4. Storage at temperatures above that of liquid nitrogen, and appropriate
cryostats for that purpose.

PLEASE NOTE: Some of our projects are under the auspices of the Immortalist
Society. Donations to the Immortalist Society (you may specify research) are
tax deductible under 501(c)3.  

Robert Ettinger
Cryonics Institute
Immortalist Society
http://www.cryonics.org

Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=10151