X-Message-Number: 26612
Date: Thu, 14 Jul 2005 05:30:36 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: low-cost option

Message #26597 From: Mike Perry <>
> To start: I spoke to  a local mortician (Stephen Rude, Rude Family
> Northwest Mortuary, Phoenix AZ) last October. He could do brain
> preservation using formaldehyde and/or glutaraldehyde. Total cost would
> be in the neighborhood of $2000-$3000 per case.
>
  I hate to rain on your parade, but deterioration of aldehyde fixed
brains precludes chemopreservation by itself as a long term storage
option. I beleive Ben Best's website should have some details on this.
DNA, RNA and lipids break down within a few decades at most in aqueous
solution. Only proteins appear to be well preserved by aldehydes over a
single decade.
  Long term preservation requires that all liquid water be removed, by
storage at temperatures below the glass transition temperature as with
cryonics, or alternatively by complete desiccation. The later possibility
still requires some temperature control, as well as a complete
oxygen seal.
  I suggest that low cost brain preservation options fall into two main
possibilities:

1. freeze-dry
2. fixation followed by low temperature drying

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