Analysis of desiccation and vitrification characteristics of carbohydrate films by shear-wave resonators.

Desiccated state preservation of mammalian cells and tissues in the presence of carbohydrates has started to show promise in the last two decades. Certain carbohydrates play a major role in preservation by reducing molecular mobility in the desiccated state. In this communication, the feasibility of utilizing shear-wave resonators to collect real-time molecular mobility information during desiccation and vitrification of carbohydrate based thin films was demonstrated. Simultaneous quartz crystal microbalance experimentation and optical imaging were utilized to determine the conditions for thin film formation and the vitrification kinetics of certain carbohydrate solutions of biological importance. Using the technique presented here, it was possible to gain insight into the vitrification characteristics of carbohydrate solutions establishing the basics for future research with quantitative analysis of film properties and experimentation with live mammalian cells.