An apparatus for the combined incubation and vitrification of a viable biological material; said apparatus comprises: a housing having an extension in a longitudinal direction (X) and an extension in a transversal direction (Y); said housing comprising: two or more individual culture dish compartments , each being adapted to accommodate one or more culture dishes comprising a biological material, each said culture dish comprises one or more culture wells for accommodating said biological material; wherein said apparatus comprises one or more image capturing devices adapted to capture images of one or more of said biological material accommodated in said one or more culture dishes; wherein said apparatus comprises cryogenic means for cooling at cryogenic temperatures of a biological material, said cryogenic means being arranged in a cryogenic area at a different location relative to said two or more culture dish compartments ; wherein said two or more culture dish compartments and said cryogenic area together defines an operational area ; wherein said apparatus comprises one or more manipulation units , said one or more manipulation units each comprises one or more robotic arms , said one or more robotic arms being configured to grip and move elements and/or chemical/biological material within said operational area; wherein said apparatus comprises movement means , said movement means being configured to move said image capturing device relative to said culture dishes; wherein said apparatus comprises a control system for controlling the operation thereof, wherein said control system being configured to allow a user to input predetermined operation protocol(s) to be followed by said apparatus; and wherein said control system being configured to control said apparatus according to said protocol(s); wherein one of said one or more manipulation units comprises a robotic culture dish moving arm, wherein said robotic culture dish moving arm being configured to grip a culture dish and to move it between said culture dish compartment and said cryogenic area of said apparatus. two or more individual culture dish compartments , each being adapted to accommodate one or more culture dishes comprising a biological material, each said culture dish comprises one or more culture wells for accommodating said biological material; wherein said apparatus comprises one or more image capturing devices adapted to capture images of one or more of said biological material accommodated in said one or more culture dishes; wherein said apparatus comprises cryogenic means for cooling at cryogenic temperatures of a biological material, said cryogenic means being arranged in a cryogenic area at a different location relative to said two or more culture dish compartments ; wherein said two or more culture dish compartments and said cryogenic area together defines an operational area ; wherein said apparatus comprises one or more manipulation units , said one or more manipulation units each comprises one or more robotic arms , said one or more robotic arms being configured to grip and move elements and/or chemical/biological material within said operational area; wherein said apparatus comprises movement means , said movement means being configured to move said image capturing device relative to said culture dishes; wherein said apparatus comprises a control system for controlling the operation thereof, wherein said control system being configured to allow a user to input predetermined operation protocol(s) to be followed by said apparatus; and wherein said control system being configured to control said apparatus according to said protocol(s); wherein one of said one or more manipulation units comprises a robotic culture dish moving arm, wherein said robotic culture dish moving arm being configured to grip a culture dish and to move it between said culture dish compartment and said cryogenic area of said apparatus. <EOS>