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Snap freezing (or cook-chill or blast freezing) is the process of rapid cooling of a substance for the purpose of preservation. It is widely used in the culinary and scientific industries.
Scientific use
Snap-freeze is a term often used in scientific papers to describe a process by which a sample is very quickly lowered to temperatures below -70 °C. This is often accomplished by submerging a sample in liquid nitrogen. This prevents water from crystallising when it forms ice, and so better preserves the structure of the sample (e.g. RNA, protein, or live cells)
See also
References
- "Collection, Storage, Retrieval and Distribution of Biological Materials for Research". Cell Preservation Technology. 6 (1): 3–58. 1 March 2008. doi:10.1089/cpt.2008.9997.