A team of scientists have succeeded in producing the very first African lion in-vitro embryos after the vitrification of immature oocytes. For this specific method of cryopreservation, the scientists, who hail from the Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (Leibniz-IZW) in Germany, Givskud Zoo–Zootopia in Denmark, and the University of Milan, collected oocytes directly after an animal was castrated or deceased and immediately froze them at -196°C in liquid nitrogen. This technique allows the storage of oocytes of valuable animals for an unlimited time so they can be used to produce offspring with the help of assisted reproduction techniques. The aim is to further improve and apply these methods to save highly endangered species, such as the Asiatic lion, from extinction. The current research on African lions as a model species is an important step in this direction. The results are reported in the scientific journal, Cryobiology.

Recently, the Kagome superconductors AV3Sb5 (A = K, Rb and Cs) have attracted enormous attention due to their novel phenomena and rich physics. They exhibit unconventional charge density wave (CDW), giant anomalous Hall effect, and superconductivity. The CDW state is intimately related to the anomalous Hall effect and competes with superconductivity under pressure. Investigating the electronic structure of the CDW state is essential to understand its nature and the related physical properties.

Cryoport, Inc., a temperature-controlled supply chain solutions provider for the life sciences industry, announces that it has entered into a strategic partnership with Cell Matters, S.A. to deliver to the life sciences industry end-to-end cryopreservation services for leukapheresis derived therapies supporting both autologous and allogeneic cell therapies. The companies will jointly develop the commercial approach for marketing these services.

Boeing has announced a technology breakthrough for cryogenic fuel tanks. These tanks are essential components of liquid-fueled rockets because they hold the liquid hydrogen and the liquid oxygen that act as the fuel. They could also play a very important role in the development of long-haul, zero-emission flight, carrying liquid hydrogen as jet engine fuel.

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) has capped off the first seven months of its survey run by smashing through all previous records for three-dimensional galaxy surveys, creating the largest and most detailed map of the universe ever. Yet it’s only about 10% of the way through its five-year mission. Once completed, that phenomenally detailed 3D map will yield a better understanding of dark energy, and thereby give physicists and astronomers a better understanding of the past – and future – of the universe. Meanwhile, the impressive technical performance and literally cosmic achievements of the survey thus far are helping scientists reveal the secrets of the most powerful sources of light in the universe. DESI is an international science collaboration managed by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab) with primary funding for construction and operations from DOE’s Office of Science.

Launch vehicles, particularly the upper stages, often use cryogenic rocket propellants such as liquid oxygen, liquid hydrogen and liquid methane because of their high specific impulse and high storage density. The pressurization, control and distribution of these propellants requires sophisticated valving that can operate and seal at these extreme temperatures.

On December 15, GenH2, a leading developer of liquid hydrogen infrastructure solutions, formally announced the appointment of renowned NASA veteran and company co-founder James E. Fesmire as Chief Architect and Chief Technology Officer. In his role, Fesmire will shape GenH2’s technology vision and drive product evolution and expansion. Known for his world-class expertise and trailblazing contributions to developing cryogenics, materials, and energy technologies, Fesmire specializes in all aspects of liquid hydrogen storage and transfer.

Cost- and energy-efficient rapid cycling magnets for particle accelerators are critical for particle physics research. Their performance determines how frequently a circular particle accelerator can receive a bunch of particles, propel them to higher energy, send them to an experiment or target station, and then repeat all over again. A small team of physicists, engineers and technicians at the US Department of Energy’s Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab, CSA CSM), led by Henryk Piekarz, demonstrated the world’s fastest magnetic ramping rates for particle accelerator magnets. Noteworthy, they achieved this record by using magnets made with energy-efficient, high temperature superconducting material.

For physicists trying to harness the power of electricity, no tool was more important than the vacuum tube. This lightbulb-like device controlled the flow of electricity and could amplify signals. In the early 20th century, vacuum tubes were used in radios, televisions and long-distance telephone networks. But vacuum tubes had significant drawbacks: They generated heat; they were bulky; and they had a propensity to burn out. Physicists at Bell Labs, a spin-off of AT&T, were interested in finding a replacement.

A new $15.8 million grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) will produce a detailed design for the world’s most powerful superconducting magnet at the Florida State University-headquartered National High Magnetic Field Laboratory (CSA CSM). While the National MagLab is already home to more than a dozen world-record magnets used by researchers from around the world, the future 40-tesla magnet will advance the study of quantum matter with its low-noise environment that surpasses present-day resistive and hybrid magnets.

On December 25, the largest and most powerful space telescope ever constructed by NASA was successfully launched from Earth. With unprecedented technology, the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) will peer both near and far, from the planets and bodies in our solar system to the deepest reaches of space, where the first stars and galaxies formed more than 13 billion years ago. JWST has a mirror that is 21.3 feet (6.5 meters) across, making it physically much larger than the Hubble Space Telescope and Hubble’s infrared sister telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope, operated by Caltech’s IPAC; it also has state-of-the-art photon detectors that register a wider range of wavelengths and enable deeper and more detailed views than Spitzer.

Today’s time-sensitive market needs revolutionization of traditional costly technologies. The cryogenic and electronic market development and utilization started from 1970 for commercial applications, and both are fast-growing technologies. There has been significant advancement of electronic products. Nowadays, a small smartphone has much more data storage and processing power capability than large costly computers in the 1970s. Smartphones are now available to most people due to low cost. Due to affordable cost and high utilization factor, the electronic product demand is always increasing. In contrast, cryogenic products are exceptionally expensive, making them inaccessible to most people.

Hydrogen is the most abundant chemical element in the universe and the most important feedstock for life. In Greek, the word “hydrogen” is composed of the terms “hydro” and “genes,” which means water generator. In 1766, the English chemist Henry Cavendish distinguished hydrogen from other flammable gases and identified its properties, but the name hydrogen was given by Antoine-Laurent Lavoisier in 1781. Hydrogen was commonly featured in the design of gas balloons in the 18th century, and then in the 20th century, substantial exploitation of hydrogen propellants in space propulsion systems began.

Ability Engineering Technology (AET), an Illinois-based manufacturer of equipment used in cryogenic process applications, has announced the introduction of a standard product line of Cryogenic Valves. According to Matt Resler, Sales Director at AET, “Our cryogenic valves have been successfully used for more than 30 years by our DOE clients, and we only recently decided to make them available for purchase by the larger industrial market.”

During a year filled with uncertainty, many were worried about the effects of the pandemic on CSA’s biennial Space Cryogenics Workshop (SCW). After much consideration and effort, we are pleased to report the successful execution of our first – and hopefully only – virtual SCW. Hosted virtually on the Remo® online platform on November 15 and 16, the event was two days of presentations, networking and reconnecting with colleagues and friends. Each of the two days was broken up into two groups of presentations, beginning and ending with networking opportunities in Remo’s virtual conference room. Co-chairs Amir Jahromi and Mark Kimball moderated all four sessions while CSA’s Megan Galeher and Tate Paglia – executive director and editor, respectively – worked as administrators for the sessions. Sponsors included Lake Shore Cryotronics, XMA, Lihan, Eta Space and Ability Engineering Technology, all CSA Corporate Sustaining Members.

For several years, three US Department of Energy national labs have worked together to further improve state-of-the-art particle accelerator technology. First tests of a prototype built at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab, CSA CSM) show the effort has paid off, with a new component setting records.

Every week since the beginning of November, a tube trailer filled with approximately 4,600 cubic meters (750 kg) of compressed gaseous helium delivers its load to the ITER cryoplant in the south of France. At a later stage, the deliveries will become more massive, as helium is delivered in liquid form in 25,000-cubic-meter (4-tonne) cryogenic containers. Progressively, the helium inventory in the cryoplant will reach the volume required to accommodate the different “clients” inside the tokamak: the lion’s share for the superconducting magnets and the cryogenic pumping system, a smaller percentage for the cryostat shielding.