Jan
16
Dear Members, I am honored to begin my term as President of the Society for Cryobiology. Having been a member of the SfC for over 25 years, and having served the SfC in multiple roles over that time, it is a privilege to now help guide an organization that has impacted my own career.
I would first like to sincerely thank Prof. Allison Hubel for her leadership and stewardship as President. Allison worked diligently to strengthen Society operations, governance, and continuity. I intend to continue these efforts and build upon the substantial progress made during her term. The Society is in a stronger position today because of her efforts.
The SfC has long been a unique and intellectually diverse scientific home, spanning fundamental cryobiology, plant and animal systems, gametes, tissues and organs, hypothermic storage, cryopreservation, cryoablation as well as other clinical and translational applications. This diversity is a strength, but it also places a responsibility on us to ensure that the Society remains cohesive, relevant, and visible across the broader scientific and biomedical landscape.
Looking ahead, my focus as President will be on reinforcing the SfC’s role as the scientific leader in cryobiology while expanding its engagement and impact beyond our traditional base. Advances in biotechnology, regenerative medicine, cell and gene therapy, organ preservation, and cryo-based clinical therapies increasingly rely on cryobiological principles, yet the Society is not always the first place external communities look for leadership or guidance. We can, and should, change that.
This will require thoughtful growth: supporting our core scientific disciplines while strengthening connections to industry, clinical translation, and emerging applications of cryobiology. Done well, this approach benefits all members by increasing visibility, opportunity, and long-term stability for the Society without narrowing its scientific scope.
I encourage every member to remain engaged - through meetings, committees, publishing in Cryobiology, and open dialogue about how the SfC can best serve the scientific community. I welcome your ideas and look forward to working together to advance both the discipline of cryobiology and the Society itself.
Thank you for your continued commitment to the Society for Cryobiology. I am excited about what lies ahead.
With best regards,
John M. Baust, Ph.D.
President
Society for Cryobiology
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The Royan Institute's 8th symposium on 
The nonprofit, Revive & Restore, will be funding a fresh initiative to preserve tissue samples from one-quarter of all threatened and endangered mammal species in the USA. Only 14% of the 1700 USA endangered species have already been cryopreserved. Biologists from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will collect the samples; the San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance and cloning company, ViaGen Pets & Equine will perform the cryopreservation, genome sequencing, and cell line creation. These cell samples will be stored in the U.S. Department of Agriculture's national repository for cryopreservation. 
Starting in October 2023, Tokyo women aged 18 to 39 can get subsidies of up to ¥300,000 to cryopreserve their eggs for future pregnancies. They must attend information sessions and participate in follow-up government surveys. Initially, they can get ¥200,000 for cryopreserving, with an additional ¥20,000 yearly for up to five years, by updating the government on the eggs' status. This data will help shape future policies. Tokyo will support companies offering Cryopreservation Leave. Moreover, the government will subsidize fertility treatments—like artificial insemination using frozen eggs—up to ¥250,000 per session for six sessions for married or de facto married women under 43. 
A stunning article in Science (
Congratulations to former Society president (2016-2019), Prof. Dayong Gao on his appointment to President-Elect of ISBER! 
Congratulations to Prof. 
Society for Cryobiology Past President (2018-2019) and Fellow Prof. Dayong Gao, and two of his group members Dr. Shen Ren and Dr. Zhiquan (Andy) Shu were recently 
Space Ice Crystals - no one knows how they are formed and Cosmonaut Sergey Korsakov on the International Space Station (ISS) just snapped a photo of the first ones forming on a window. The window in question is most likely in the Russian module of the ISS so further information is limited and we can only speculate.
Sometimes the world can seem like a cruel and dismal place. With issues like climate crisis, world hunger, and rising income inequality, to name a few, we can be hard-pressed to put a positive "spin" on the future our children & grandchildren will inherit.
August 1, 2022 | Noon - 5pm | MIT, Bush Room 10-105 or via Zoom