What is biostasis?
Biostasis refers to the ability to place biological systems — including entire organisms — into a stable, non-active state where all cellular functions pause, without causing damage.
In humans, it’s used synonymously with cryopreservation, which is the process of cooling the body after legal death to stop biological time and preserve the possibility of future revival.
It’s not freezing. It’s not science fiction. It’s a scientific attempt to interrupt biological decline until better medical solutions exist.
The roots of the concept
Biostasis has its roots in biology. Many animals — such as tardigrades and some frogs — can survive extreme cold or dehydration by entering dormant states, halting cellular activity for extended periods.
Cryonics applies this principle to human medicine: using vitrification and extreme cold to achieve a form of medically guided biostasis after legal death.
Why biostasis matters
Death, as traditionally defined, is a process — not a moment. In fact, much of what we consider death is reversible with advanced care:
- Hearts can be restarted
- Organs can be transplanted
- Patients can be revived from cardiac arrest after long periods
Biostasis expands this idea by delaying irreversible decay, giving future doctors more time — decades, centuries, if needed — to fix what today’s medicine cannot.
It’s about pausing life, not ending it.
Biostasis vs. cryopreservation: what’s the difference?
While often used interchangeably, biostasis refers to the conceptual goal (halting decline), whereas cryopreservation refers to the method used to achieve it (cooling and vitrification).
Think of biostasis as the outcome, and cryopreservation as the tool used to achieve that outcome.
Other approaches to biostasis — such as chemical preservation, advanced cooling methods, or even nanotechnology — are under research, but cryopreservation remains the only practical and scalable method available today.
Ethical implications of biostasis
Biostasis raises deep ethical questions:
- Should people be preserved after death in the hope of future revival?
- What constitutes “death” in the age of reversible biostasis?
- Who is responsible for reanimation when the time comes?
- How do we ensure long-term care for people who can’t advocate for themselves?
At Tomorrow.bio, these questions are taken seriously. Our partnerships with organizations like the European Biostasis Foundation ensure that biostasis is treated not only as a scientific challenge but as an ethical one.
Applications beyond the individual
While human cryopreservation is the most discussed application, biostasis has broader potential:
- Emergency trauma care: Research is exploring how rapid cooling could buy time to save patients after severe injuries.
- Organ preservation: Biostasis principles may help preserve organs for transplant far longer than current methods allow.
- Space travel: Extended hibernation states may one day support interstellar missions.
This is more than life extension — it’s life preservation.
A future that’s paused — not lost
Biostasis is not a fantasy. It is a bridge — from death today to life tomorrow. For those who believe in the potential of future medical science, it offers a rational, scientifically grounded response to the limitations of current care.
It’s not a promise. But it is a possibility. And sometimes, that’s all we need.
About Tomorrow.bio
At Tomorrow.bio, we are dedicated to advancing the science of cryopreservation with the goal of giving people and pets a second chance at life. As Europe’s leading cryopreservation provider, we focus on rapid, high-quality standby, stabilization, and storage of terminal patients — preserving them until future medical technologies may allow revival and treatment.
Our mission is to make cryopreservation a reliable and accessible option for everyone. We believe that no life — human or animal — should end because current medical capabilities fall short.
📧 Contact us at: hello@tomorrow.bio
🌐 Visit our website: www.tomorrow.bio
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