Dear Andrew, I would suggest that Larousse may need to revisit their entry - freeze-drying (in every context I have come across it) refers to lyophilisation, which (i) specifically requires the formation of ice crystals, and (ii) results in the removal of all of the resulting ice from the sample.
Tom > > This is certainly not what we want to do to our crystals. > > However, another definition in OED is: > "Cause (a liquid) to solidify by removal of heat", suggesting that this > does not necessarily mean the formation of crystals. > > The Larousse Dictionary of Science and Technology (1995) has the following > definition: > "Freeze-drying (Biol.) A method of fixing tissues sufficiently rapidly as > to inhibit the formation of ice-crystals." > > The Dictionary of Microbiology and Molecular Biology (3rd Ed) in the entry > on "Freezing" has the sentence: > "Rapid freezing tends to prevent the ice crystal formation by encouraging > vitrification". > > Both of these erstwhile volumes therefore suggest that freezing does not > necessarily imply the formation of crystals. However, the term is > ambiguous, while vitrification is not. > > Personally I use "cryocooled" instead. > > Best wishes, > > Andrew > > > > On 15 Nov 2012, at 17:13, Sebastiano Pasqualato wrote: > > > Hi folks, > I have recently received a comment on a paper, in which referee #1 > (excellent referee, btw!) commented like this: > > "crystals were vitrified rather than frozen." > > These were crystals grew in ca. 2.5 M sodium malonate, directly dip in > liquid nitrogen prior to data collection at 100 K. > We stated in the methods section that crystals were "frozen in liquid > nitrogen", as I always did. > > After a little googling it looks like I've always been wrong, and what we > are always doing is doing is actually vitrifying the crystals. > Should I always use this statement, from now on, or are > there english/physics subtleties that I'm not grasping? > > Thanks a lot, > ciao, > s > > > -- > Sebastiano Pasqualato, PhD > Crystallography Unit > Department of Experimental Oncology > European Institute of Oncology > IFOM-IEO Campus > via Adamello, 16 > 20139 - Milano > Italy > > tel +39 02 9437 5167 > fax +39 02 9437 5990 > > please note the change in email address! > sebastiano.pasqual...@ieo.eu > > > > > > > > > -- Skype: tom.murray.rust Twitter: tmurrayrust http://twitpic.com/photos/tmurrayrust +44 7970 480 601 (UK)
