IMPROVING CRYOPRESERVATION OUTCOMES OF SMALL BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES THROUGH ULTRA-FAST CONVECTIVE COOLING AND WARMING - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT CRYOPRESERVATION OF OOCYTES, EMBRYOS, CELLS, TISSUES AND OTHER SMALL BIOLOGICAL SAMPLES PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN MEDICINE, IN BIOMEDICAL/BIOTECHNOLOGICAL RESEARCH, AND IN ASSISTED REPRODUCTION OF HUMANS, DOMESTIC ANIMALS, AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. THE NIH SUPPORTS SEVERAL BIOREPOSITORIES FOR KEY SPECIES USED IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH INCLUDING MICE, RATS, PIGS, FRUIT FLIES, ZEBRAFISH, FROGS AND SALAMANDERS. MANY SPECIES/STRAINS ARE MAINTAINED AS LIVE STOCKS OR ARE PROPAGATED BY CLONING BECAUSE RELIABLE AND COST-EFFECTIVE OOCYTE/EMBRYO CRYOPRESERVATION TECHNOLOGY IS NOT AVAILABLE. SUCH TECHNOLOGY WOULD PROVIDE BENEFITS INCLUDING SIMPLIFICATION OF PROTOCOLS, PROTECTION AGAINST GENETIC DRIFT FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION, PRESERVATION OF CULLED STOCKS, AND PROTECTION AGAINST DISASTERS. THE SAME TECHNOLOGY WOULD IMPROVE CRYOPRESERVATION OF A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER SMALL (