home | announcements | contact | latest newsletter | forms | archive | links

The Society for Low Temperature Biology (SLTB) was founded in 1964 and became a Registered Charityin 2003 (Charity Commission for England & Wales No. 1099747) with the purpose of promoting research into the effects of low temperatures on all types of organisms and their constituent cells, tissues and organs. Such studies have applications in a diverse variety of scientific fields from biology and medicine to engineering. Research interests of members range from natural mechanisms of cold tolerance, cryopreservation of cells and tissues for medical, agricultural and conservation purposes, low temperature microscopy, through to the physics and physical chemistry of water and ice, and heat and mass transfer in biological systems. This wide range of scientific and technical backgrounds facilitates cross-fertilization of ideas at our meetings.


The Society holds at least one main meeting each year. The programme includes both a symposium on a topical subject and a session of free communications on any aspect of low temperature biology. Recent symposia have included long-term stability, preservation of aquatic organisms, cryopreservation of embryos and gametes, preservation of plants, low temperature microscopy, vitrification, freeze drying and tissue banking.

Society costs are kept to a minimum with a membership fee of only £20 and £15 for student members per annum. In return, members receive a newsletter with news of forthcoming activities, and access to meetings of the Society. If you would like to join, please complete and return the Membership Application Form to the General Secretary together with your remittance for your first year's subscription. (NB Foreign currencies or cheques drawn on non-UK banks cannot be accepted).

Applications for membership have to be approved by the Committee of the Society, and you will be notified of the outcome immediately after the next Committee meeting. The Society reserves the right to refuse membership and to refund the joining fee.


The Society has members from a wide variety of scientific backgrounds dealing with diverse organisms, materials and technologies. Areas of activity amongst the membership include:

• Cryopreservation of cells, tissues, organs and materials for medical purposes
• Cryopreservation of plant cells and tissues and cultures of algae, protozoa and filamentous fungi for the purposes of sustainable agriculture, biotechnology and conservation of biodiversity
• Refrigeration of biological materials
• Preservation of human and animal gametes and embryos
• Tissue engineering
• Cold tolerance of natural biological systems including plants, invertebrates, animals and microorganisms
• Low temperature aspects of hibernation
• Biochemistry of natural cryoprotectants and cryoprotection
• Cryomicroscopy
• Physics of supercooling, ice nucleation/formation and heat transfer