LyphoX: A Frugal Lyophilizer for Cell Components and Vaccines
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Prabhakar, Aditya Santhosh
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Abstract
Lyophilizers extend shelf-life and allow transportation of both cell cultures and vaccines, which otherwise would need to be cooled to maintain functionality. They offer a cheaper and contamination-free alternative to petri-dish and refrigerated transport of samples. This is accomplished by freeze-drying the cells and vaccines, temporarily putting them in an inactive state. This allows transportation without refrigeration, lowering transportation costs. Lab-grade lyophilizers can cost up to $12,000, making them unaffordable for underfunded labs and developing countries in need of efficient cell and vaccine distribution. In light of this, our team prototyped LyphoX, an open-source, low-cost alternative to traditional lyophilizers, costing approximately 1% of the current commercial units. LyphoX uses low temperatures (-5 °C) and a standard electric vacuum pump to sublimate cell solutions, freeze-drying them in 90 minutes. LyphoX uses saltwater and standard ice for a cooling chamber, as dry ice and acetone are not universally accessible. In order to lyophilize, cell cultures in PCR tubes are placed within a metal container to be vacuumed for 90 minutes, thus leaving a lyophilized flaky residue in a deactivated state. In our testing, LyphoX extended the shelf life of E.coli (a liquid cell culture) for up to six days, while a non-lyophilized sample was non-viable after two days. With COVID-19, low-cost and simple transportation of vaccines is integral to increasing vaccination rates in less developed regions. LyphoX would allow these regions ready access to vaccines and cell materials.
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