Integrated Thrust Area 1 (ITA1) focuses on engineering both Cryoprotective Agents (CPAs) and biological systems to withstand subzero preservation and recover full function.
Moving beyond empirical formulations, ITA1 develops predictive, mechanistic strategies to reduce toxicity, protect structural and metabolic integrity, and condition biosystems prior to cooling. Translational efforts emphasize process standardization, scale-up, and regulatory alignment to enable clinical and commercial deployment.
ITA1 comprises 10 collaborative projects led by investigators at MGH and UMN and TAMU. Many projects span institutions, reinforcing the convergent research model.
Together, these efforts establish the bioengineering foundation for scalable and reproducible cryopreservation.
