Thawing of cell samples. Two cell sample tubes in a bowl of ice. They are being thawed after being kept at liquid nitrogen temperatures (-198 degrees Celsius). The cell samples are being used in cell culture research. The cells will be extracted from the sample tubes and cultured in a nutrient medium to produce cells for further study. A wide range of cells can be studied in this manner, including cancer cells and stem cells. Photographed at the Genethon Laboratory in France.