While it is barely 50 years since the first reliable reports of the recovery of living cells frozen to cryogenic temperatures, there has been tremendous growth in the use of cryobiology in medicine, agriculture, horticulture, forestry, and the conservation of endangered or economically important species. As the first major text on cryobiology in the genomic era, Life in the Frozen State describes the current understanding of how living cells and complex organisms survive very low temperatures. Leading world experts combine fundamental theory and practice across a spectrum of species and applications to evaluate how cryobiology can benefit humanity. Chapters encompass disciplines ranging from mathematical modeling and biophysics, to the molecular biology of stress gene expression and the clinical banking of cells and tissues. This book provides a unique opportunity to explore the subject in a multidisciplinary context, which has historically been the key to realizing some of the most exciting advances in low temperature research. Features · Integrates fundamental theory and practice across a broad range of species and applications · Discusses cryobiology within a multidisciplinary context · Emphasizes how the current knowledge of cryobiology can be applied to benefit humanity through health care and conservation