INCREASING THE VIABILITY AND STRESS TOLERANCE OF VIABLE BIOLOGICAL MATERIAL

1 . Method for improving the viability and/or stress tolerance of viable biological material and using said material comprising

(a) applying hydrostatic pressure to said biological material;

(b) keeping said viable biological material at the hydrostatic pressure for a predetermined time period;

(c) releasing the hydrostatic pressure;

(d) using said material for any desired purpose in accordance with any useful protocol,

with the proviso that the said usage does not comprise cryopreservation and said application of said hydrostatic pressure does not result in allotriploidization of said biological material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said hydrostatic pressure is in the range of 1 to 200 MPa, preferably 10 to 100 MPa, more preferably 20 to 75 MPa, and most preferably 30 to 60 MPa.

3 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said hydrostatic pressure is applied for a time period between 0.001 seconds and 600 minutes, preferably 1 seconds to 300 minutes, more preferably 10 seconds to 150 minutes, more preferably 20 seconds to 90 minutes, and most preferably 30 seconds to 60 minutes.

4 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said pressure is released gradually over a time period between instantaneous release and 6 hours.

5 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said pressure is applied, kept and released according to a predetermined pressure profile.

6 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said pressure is applied, kept and released according to a predetermined temperature profile.

7 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the said biological material is a gamete or embryo, and is preferably selected from the group consisting of oocytes, sperms, zygotes, morulas, blastocysts, embryos, and stem cells of a vertebrate animal.

8 . The method according to claim 7 wherein said vertebrate animal is a fish, bird or a mammal, preferably bovine, equine, caprine, ovine, swine, other livestocks, pets, primates, including human.

9 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said biological material is a culture of micro-organisms.

10 . The method according to claim 9 , wherein said culture of micro-organism is a bacterial culture.

11 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said usage of the said biological material incorporates any techniques or protocols that are applicable in the field of assisted reproductive techniques, biotechnical and/or biotechnological manipulations.

12 . The method according to claim 1 wherein said usage is freeze-drying.

13 . The method according to claim 1 wherein the said stress tolerance is tolerance against increased temperature.

14 . A method for improving the viability of a viable biological material and using the material comprising:

(a) applying hydrostatic pressure to said biological material;

(b) keeping said viable biological material at the hydrostatic pressure for a predetermined time period;

(c) releasing the hydrostatic pressure;

(d) using the viable biological material in the field of assisted reproductive techniques,

with the proviso that no cryopreservation of the viable biological material is performed, and wherein the viable biological material is selected from the group consisting of mammalian embryos, oocytes and sperm, and a bacterial culture.