In 1939, Lewis L. Coriell published a paper on an aspect of science he would revolutionize: His pioneering techniques for characterizing, freezing, and storing non-contaminated cell cultures in liquid nitrogen constituted one of the greatest contributions to modern human genetics.

The Coriell Institute for Medical Research—originally known as South Jersey Medical Research Foundation and then as the Institute for Medical Research—was founded by famed virologist Dr. Lewis L. Coriell in 1953. Dr. Coriell was a scientific pioneer, making invaluable contributions to biomedical research through advances in aseptic cell culture techniques and cryopreservation of cell lines.