Many deaths in the U.S. each year are attributed to end-stage organ failure. Organ replacement could prevent many of these deaths. However, many patients added to transplant waiting lists do not receive organ transplants. There is a shortage of organ donors, and many organs are discarded because they cannot be preserved for more than a few hours. Long-term preservation requires storage at very low temperatures. Tissue damage can occur during cooling and rewarming because of ice formation among other issues. An alternative approach is vitrification, which preserves samples in a gel-like state. This CAREER project will develop new technologies for organ vitrification by applying electromagnetic waves to suppress ice formation and avoid thermomechanical stress fractures. A combination of experimental and theoretical studies will lead to an effective vitrification strategy that overcomes problems associated with preservation at low temperatures. The CAREER project will provide opportunities for students to participate in the research. The research team will conduct outreach to K-12 schools, community colleges and local communities in collaboration with the Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium. These efforts will empower young talent in STEM fields and promote public understanding of challenging problems in biomedical engineering. Long-term cryopreservation and biobanking of human organs can address the severe organ shortage crisis in transplantation and save the lives of millions of patients with organ failure each year. Owing to the complexity and large size of most organs, vitrification remains the most promising approach for achieving long-term organ cryopreservation. However, organ vitrification remains an unsolved problem due to grand challenges, including crystallization and devitrification during cooling and rewarming, cytotoxicity associated with highly concentrated vitrification solutions, and thermomechanical stresses that lead to fractures and damage, par