Cryonicists spend a lot of time thinking about how to minimize damage at the end of life. We have Powers of Attorney, Living Wills, POLST forms, and Bedside Notices—all carefully worded to avoid delays, ischemia, or interference with our cryopreservation. Every step is designed to preserve as much of “us” as possible, for as long as possible. And yet, despite all of this preparation, our biology is fragile—some deterioration can and will occur.
But let’s be honest: no matter how well prepared we are, damage is inevitable.
The Many Kinds of Damage
Cryopreservation and revival carry risks at every stage:
- Ischemic injury (oxygen starvation, swelling, acidosis) before cooling begins
- Free radical damage from oxidative stress
- Cryoprotectant toxicity during perfusion
- Ice crystal formation if vitrification fails locally
- Thermal stress and fracturing at liquid nitrogen temperatures
- Epigenetic disruption and synaptic loss that no DNA alone can restore
- Rewarming injury and recrystallization during revival
Each of these layers adds uncertainty. We can hope that future technologies—molecular repair, nanomedicine, AI-assisted reconstruction—will overcome them. But the more clean reference material they have to work with, the better.
Why Having a DNA Backup Helps
Having a preserved DNA sample won’t save your memories or personality—that requires the intact neural structure cryonics is designed to protect. But DNA provides something equally vital: a flawless genetic blueprint.
If parts of your genome are damaged, missing, or unrecoverable, a stored DNA sample could serve as the “master copy.” This would allow future revival teams to:
- Correct DNA breaks and mutations introduced by ischemia or cryoprotectant toxicity
- Reconstruct lost sequences if tissue DNA is too degraded
- Validate identity in case of uncertainty or catastrophic loss
In short: it gives future scientists one more tool to work with when restoring your biology.
The Cost of Saying No
The Cryonics Institute already offers DNA/Tissue banking for members. For a one-time cost of $98, you receive a kit to collect cheek swabs, hair roots, or skin tissue. CI then stores your DNA in liquid nitrogen alongside their patients.
Think about that for a moment: for the price of dinner out, you can provide your future revival team with the cleanest possible copy of your genetic code.
Cryonics already requires us to think long-term and prepare for contingencies. DNA banking is one of the simplest, cheapest safeguards available—and yet many members haven’t done it.
A Simple Step Toward a Stronger Future
Cryonics is about betting on the future. We can’t predict every breakthrough, but we can give tomorrow’s scientists the best possible starting point.
I already sent for my sample kit. You can get yours here:
About the Author:
Steve LeBel is a retired hospital CEO and an advocate for cryonics preparedness and planning. He is signed up with the Cryonics Institute and works to bridge the gap between end-of-life care and timely cryopreservation.
Steve LeBel Bio
steve@stevelebel.com
https://stevelebel.com