Development of devices through design, prototyping, testing, and fabrication is especially necessary for enhancement of research and eventual application in cryobiology. The advent of 3-dimensional printing offers unique opportunities for this process, given that the materials involved are suitable for use in cryogenic temperatures. We report herein that 3-D printing with polylactic acid (PLA) thermoplastic is ideally suited for cryobiology device development. Devices that are designed and standardized in open-source fashion can be electronically distributed and created locally on increasingly affordable 3-D printers, and can accelerate cryobiology findings and improve reproducibility of results.
Keywords: Cryogenic properties; Cryopreservation; Polylactic acid; Vitrification.
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