If you have been reading about Primary drying and want a single page that covers the useful parts, this is it: definitions, context, how it is studied, and the questions that come up repeatedly.
Last reviewed on 2026-01-28. Where a claim depends on a specific study, the study is described rather than over-claimed.
Freeze-drying is distinct from simple evaporation and from spray drying. Evaporation removes water at temperatures above freezing, while spray drying rapidly dries droplets in a heated gas stream. Lyophilization avoids high temperatures, which can be useful for heat-sensitive materials such as proteins, vaccines, and some foods. The porous cake produced by sublimation dissolves or rehydrates more quickly than a dense dried mass. Not all materials tolerate freezing or the pH shifts that can occur as solutes concentrate during ice formation.
Lyophilization removes water from a frozen material by sublimation under reduced pressure. The process begins with freezing, which converts liquid water into ice and fixes the structure of the sample. After freezing, primary drying lowers pressure so ice changes directly to vapor without passing through a liquid phase. Secondary drying then removes bound water that remains after ice sublimation. The result is a dry, porous solid that often retains its original shape.
The low pressure used during drying allows water vapor to move from the ice surface to a cold condenser. Energy supplied as heat drives sublimation but must stay below the collapse temperature of the frozen matrix. If the product becomes too warm, the frozen structure may soften or melt, reducing pore formation and slowing drying. Formulations often include bulking agents, stabilizers, or buffers to support a rigid cake. The final moisture content depends on formulation, freezing rate, and the length of secondary drying.
Formulation composition influences whether freeze-drying produces an intact cake or a collapsed mass. Excipients such as sugars and polymers can raise the collapse temperature and provide bulk during drying. The critical temperature for primary drying is often the collapse temperature or the glass transition temperature of the maximally concentrated phase. If the product temperature exceeds this threshold, the frozen matrix may soften and lose structure. Established practice therefore links shelf temperature and chamber pressure to the formulation's thermal properties.
The physics of freeze-drying couples heat transfer, mass transfer, and phase change. Heat supplied through the shelf must reach the sublimation front without melting the ice or degrading the product. Water vapor then travels through the already dried layer and leaves the chamber, where low pressure and cold traps keep it from returning. The dried layer acts as a resistance to vapor flow, so drying rate changes as the front recedes. Open questions remain about how pore structure and formulation heterogeneity affect drying uniformity at larger scales.
| Property | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Primary phase change | Sublimation | Ice changes directly to vapor under reduced pressure |
| Typical chamber pressure | 0.01–0.5 mbar (1–50 Pa) | Below the triple point of water; product-specific |
| Typical product temperature during primary drying | −40 °C to −10 °C | Kept below collapse temperature |
| Typical residual moisture | 0.5–3% w/w | Target range varies by formulation and use |
| Common synonyms | Freeze-drying; lyophilisation | Lyophilization is the US spelling |
In practice, lyophilization is slower and more energy intensive than simple drying. Cycle times can range from hours to several days depending on load, container, and formulation. Amorphous materials may require excipients that help preserve structure during freezing and drying. The method is widely used for biological materials, pharmaceuticals, and foods where heat drying would cause unacceptable change. Open questions remain about scaling cycles between laboratory and production equipment, and this gap affects technology transfer.
Lyophilization removes water by freezing a material and then lowering pressure so ice changes directly to vapor. The process relies on sublimation, the phase transition from solid to gas without an intermediate liquid state. Because the material remains frozen during primary drying, the structure often stays porous. This porous matrix can rehydrate quickly when water is added back. The low pressure also allows vapor to leave the solid matrix without boiling.
A freeze-dryer consists of a vacuum chamber, temperature-controlled shelves, a condenser, and a vacuum pump. Vials, ampoules, or bulk trays hold the product during the cycle. The condenser traps water vapor as ice at a temperature lower than the product. Cycle development balances shelf temperature, chamber pressure, and time. Scale-up can be difficult because heat and mass transfer change with equipment size, so process analytical tools and conservative validation are often used.
Lyophilization is a dehydration technique in which a product is frozen and the solvent is removed under reduced pressure. The low pressure allows ice to sublimate directly into vapor without passing through a bulk liquid phase. This differs from conventional drying, where heat drives evaporation and can damage heat-sensitive structures. The process is used for biological materials, pharmaceutical formulations, and some foods. Its main advantage is preservation of porous structure and rapid reconstitution.
But, for ruling out infections causes being one of the more important roles for clinical metagenomics it is essential to be capable to perform a deep enough sequencing to achieve adequate sensitivities. One way could be developing novel library preparation techniques.
Cyprodime is a selective MOR antagonist Naltrindole is a selective DOR antagonist Norbinaltorphimine is a selective KOR antagonist J-113,397 is a selective nociceptin receptor (NOP) antagonist Other selective antagonists are also known, but the four listed above were the first selective antagonists discovered for each respective opioid receptor, and are still the most widely used. In addition to selective antagonists, AT-076 is a non-selective, balanced antagonist of all four of the opioid receptors, and was the first such agent to be discovered.
Vacuum-packing stores food in a vacuum environment, usually in an air-tight bag or bottle. The vacuum environment strips bacteria of oxygen needed for survival. Vacuum-packing is commonly used for storing nuts to reduce loss of flavor from oxidization. A major drawback to vacuum packaging, at the consumer level, is that vacuum sealing can deform contents and rob certain foods, such as cheese, of its flavor.
Anti-trans actors employ various strategies in their spread of misinformation around transgender health care by inventing pseudoscientific concepts and attacking professionals and organizations that provide gender affirming care, trying to frame gender-affirming care as "dangerous" or "experimental" or claims that a majority of transgender youth will detransition, something scientists have refuted and named the desistance myth, or can be cured using conversion therapy.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
== As a drug target == NAMPT has increasingly been researched as a potential drug target, with activators of NAMPT having potential applications as anti-aging drugs, while inhibitors of NAMPT may be useful for the treatment of certain forms of cancer. Because cancer cells utilize increased glycolysis, and because NAD enhances glycolysis, iNAMPT is often amplified in cancer cells. APO866 (FK866) is an experimental drug that inhibits this enzyme. It was tested for treatment of advanced melanoma, cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTL), and refractory or relapsed B-chronic lymphocytic leukemia, but was dropped from development due to disappointing efficacy results in trials. However, it has been shown to inhibit epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) and inhibit tumor-associated angiogenesis, and may be useful for other medical indications. Anti-aging biomedical company Calico has licensed the experimental P7C3 analogs involved in enhancing iNAMPT activity. P7C3 compounds have been shown in a number of publications to be beneficial in animal models for age-related neurodegeneration.
Proteins of interest can then be selectively bound to the ligands to separate them from other proteins, after which it can be eluted. The agarose beads used are typically of 4% and 6% densities with a high binding capacity for protein.
JINR did not propose a name after their first report claiming synthesis of element 105, which would have been the usual practice. This led LBL to believe that JINR did not have enough experimental data to back their claim. After collecting more data, JINR proposed the name bohrium (Bo) in honor of the Danish nuclear physicist Niels Bohr, a founder of the theories of atomic structure and quantum theory; they soon changed their proposal to nielsbohrium (Ns) to avoid confusion with boron. Another proposed name was dubnium. When LBL first announced their synthesis of element 105, they proposed that the new element be named hahnium (Ha) after the German chemist Otto Hahn, the "father of nuclear chemistry", thus creating an element naming controversy. In the early 1970s, both teams reported synthesis of the next element, element 106, but did not suggest names. JINR suggested establishing an international committee to clarify the discovery criteria. This proposal was accepted in 1974 and a neutral joint group formed. Neither team showed interest in resolving the conflict through a third party, so the leading scientists of LBL—Albert Ghiorso and Glenn Seaborg—traveled to Dubna in 1975 and met with the leading scientists of JINR—Georgy Flerov, Yuri Oganessian, and others—to try to resolve the conflict internally and render the neutral joint group unnecessary; after two hours of discussions, this failed. The joint neutral group never assembled to assess the claims, and the conflict remained unresolved.
He was then flown by helicopter to the Westside Heliport in Manhattan, New York City and then taken by an armored convoy to a local Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) field office where he was processed before ultimately being held in the Metropolitan Detention Center Brooklyn.
Fluorescent nanodiamonds combine the advantages of semiconductor quantum dots (small size, high photostability, bright multicolor fluorescence) with biocompatibility, non-toxicity, and rich surface chemistry, which means that they have the potential to revolutionize Vivo imaging applications.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Autofluorescence is the natural fluorescence of biological structures (autofluorophores) such as mitochondria and lysosomes, in contrast to fluorescence originating from artificially added fluorescent markers (fluorophores). The most commonly observed autofluorescencing molecules are NADPH and flavins; the extracellular matrix can also contribute to autofluorescence because of the intrinsic properties of collagen and elastin. Generally, proteins containing an increased amount of the amino acids tryptophan, tyrosine, and phenylalanine show some degree of autofluorescence. Autofluorescence also occurs in non-biological materials found in many papers and textiles. Autofluorescence from U.S. paper money has been demonstrated as a means for discerning counterfeit currency from authentic currency.
The pathophysiology of glaucoma is not well understood. Several theories exist regarding the mechanism of the damage to the optic nerve in glaucoma. The biomechanical theory hypothesizes that the retinal ganglion-cell axons (which form the optic nerve head and the retinal nerve fiber layer) are particularly susceptible to mechanical damage from increases in the intraocular pressure as they pass through pores at the lamina cribrosa. Thus, increases in intraocular pressure would cause nerve damage as seen in glaucoma. The vascular theory hypothesizes that a decreased blood supply to the retinal ganglion cells leads to nerve damage. This decrease in blood supply may be due to increasing intraocular pressures, and may also be due to systemic hypotension, vasospasm, or atherosclerosis. This is supported by evidence that those with low blood pressure, particularly low diastolic blood pressure, are at an increased risk of glaucoma. The primary neurodegeneration theory hypothesizes that a primary neurodegenerative process may be responsible for degeneration at the optic nerve head in glaucoma. This would be consistent with a possible mechanism of normal tension glaucoma (those with open-angle glaucoma with normal eye pressures) and is supported by evidence showing a correlation of glaucoma with Alzheimer's dementia and other causes of cognitive decline. Both experimental and clinical studies implicate that oxidative stress plays a role in the pathogenesis of open-angle glaucoma as well as in Alzheimer's disease.
6 RCN + 4 (NSCl)3 → 6 [RCN2S2]+Cl− + 3 Cl2 + 3 N2 Sulfur trioxide successively oxidizes the compound at the sulfur atoms to (NSOCl)3. The latter is also the pyrolysis product of a mixture of phosphorus pentachloride and sulfamic acid. In principle, it exists as stereoisomers, but only one (all chlorides axial) had been isolated by 1979.
On 4 June, Anvisa approved exceptional imports of Sputnik V, restricting it mainly to healthy adults and limiting it to only 1% of the population of 6 importing states, in order to manage risks through control and supervision of side effects. Anvisa said that the concern with replicating viruses has not been fully resolved, but that additional documents received indicate a substantially reduced acceptable amount. The new parameter would be in an FDA manual, which was not found. Anvisa also said that impurity and quality controls are insufficient and that the manufacturing plants must undergo corrections to meet WHO quality standards. As of 16 June, the same import conditions were extended to a total of 13 states. On 5 August, the consortium of northeastern Brazilian states, corresponding to 7 of the 13 states, suspended the import of 37 million doses due to the restrictions imposed by Anvisa. These doses will supply Mexico, Argentina and Bolivia.
=== Firearm offences === 1971: Teo Cheng Leong, a Singaporean robber hanged on an unknown date in May 1971 for shooting at a police officer twice with intent to cause harm. 1975: Liew Ah Chiew, a 19-year-old National Serviceman convicted of murdering his platoon commander Hor Koon Seng and hanged on 29 November 1975. 1976: Sha Bakar Dawood, a Singaporean national, hanged on 3 September 1976 for the use of a firearm with intent to cause injury, after shooting three people at a brothel and then opening fire on police at Thiam Siew Avenue. 1977: Talib bin Haji Hamzah, a Singaporean national, hanged on 28 January 1977 for the use of a firearm with intent to cause injury, after being an accomplice to two jewellers shop robberies in 1974 during which firearms were discharged. 1980: Chang Bock Eng and Tay Cher Kiang, who were both given the death penalty in August 1977 for using a revolver during an armed robbery at a paint shop. Both Chang and Tay were hanged on 9 May 1980. 1984: Lim Kok Yew, a Malaysian national, hanged on 8 June 1984 for the joint enterprise of the use of a firearm with intent to cause injury, after he and his accomplice Yong Kwee Kong took hostages while exchanging fire with police during the Tiong Bahru bus hijacking. 1991: Chia Chee Yeen, a National Serviceman and army lance corporal charged with shooting his army superior to death at an army camp in July 1987. Chia was sentenced to death for murder in May 1990, and he lost his appeal in September 1991. He had been since executed.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Lyophilization relies on sublimation, so water moves from solid ice to vapor without becoming liquid. The material is frozen, pressure is reduced, and controlled heat is supplied. Vapor is captured on a cold condenser, leaving a dry porous solid.
The process has three main stages: freezing, primary drying, and secondary drying. Freezing sets the ice structure, primary drying removes free ice, and secondary drying removes bound water. Each stage uses specific temperature, pressure, and time settings.
No, it is a drying method rather than a sterilization method. Removing water can limit microbial growth, but it does not reliably kill microorganisms. Sterility must come from separate steps such as filtration, heat treatment, or aseptic processing.
Primary drying removes ice by sublimation at low pressure and low shelf temperature. Secondary drying removes bound water by raising the shelf temperature, often under the same vacuum. The two stages differ in the water state being removed.