it first uses a method traditionally associated with “plastination” (glutaraldehyde perfusion), and then uses a method traditionally associated with cryonics, i.e. perfusion with a cryoprotective agent and then low temperature storage and, presumably, vitrification, which means that damage from ice crystal formation should be avoided and the brain should turn a glass state.
No, I don’t think so; although I don’t know exactly what is in the 100 ul of “Equilibration Solution” and “Vitrification Solution”, I highly doubt that they cross-link any proteins like glutaraldehyde does. Because C. elegans are so small, it is much easier for standard cryoprotectant agents to diffuse across them. So, methods to stabilize blood vessels and tissue parenchyma prior to cryoprotectant agent perfusion, which is valuable in larger animals such as pigs, are not necessary in C. elegans.
Is this related to the new SafeSpeed process used in http://lesswrong.com/r/discussion/lw/m8g/link_persistence_of_longterm_memory_in_vitrified/ ?
No, I don’t think so; although I don’t know exactly what is in the 100 ul of “Equilibration Solution” and “Vitrification Solution”, I highly doubt that they cross-link any proteins like glutaraldehyde does. Because C. elegans are so small, it is much easier for standard cryoprotectant agents to diffuse across them. So, methods to stabilize blood vessels and tissue parenchyma prior to cryoprotectant agent perfusion, which is valuable in larger animals such as pigs, are not necessary in C. elegans.