Investigating Cryopreservation of Avian Red Blood Cells

Because storage of avian red blood cells is challenging, it is difficult to treat birds with life-threatening anemia if fresh whole blood from a donor is not available. Cryopreservation (freezing) would allow for long-term storage of avian red blood cells and serve as a source of blood if a homologous donor is unavailable. The investigators will compare cryopreservation versus deep-freezer storage of avian red blood cells. They will also investigate cell survival after transfusion of cryopreserved cells to ensure that cryopreservation effectively maintains red blood cell viability.