Freezing cells

Today I've frozen down some cells for a new project - the first time I've frozen down my own supply, so fingers crossed!  Cryopreservation is an essential technique in order to maintain a long term, consistent supply of cells.  Continuous culture of cell lines, without cryoprservation, leads to a number of problems including genetic drift, loss of key characteristics and an increased probability of microbial contamination.  So learning to cryopreserve cells effectively is a critical skill in cell culture.  Over the next few days I'll be sharing hints and tips with you as I learn more about it here at XCellR8......