Engineered Compounds to Control Ice Nucleation and Recrystallization

Abstract

One of the greatest concerns in the subzero storage of cells, tissues, and organs is the ability to control the nucleation or recrystallization of ice. In nature, evidence of these processes, which aid in sustaining internal temperatures below the physiologic freezing point for extended periods of time, is apparent in freeze-avoidant and freeze-tolerant organisms. After decades of studying these proteins, we now have easily accessible compounds and materials capable of recapitulating the mechanisms seen in nature for biopreservation applications. The output from this burgeoning area of research can interact synergistically with other novel developments in the field of cryobiology, making it an opportune time for a review on this topic. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering, Volume 25 is June 2023. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

Antifreeze Polysaccharides from Wheat Bran: The Structural Characterization and Antifreeze Mechanism

“…The cryoprotectant mainly exerts the effects by ice nucleation, thermal hysteresis, ice recrystallization inhibition, and/or dynamic ice shaping. 6 Therefore, the development of environmentally friendly renewable polymerbased cryoprotectants is of great importance for improving their cryopreservation applications, reducing the chemical and physical damages during freeze−thawing, and realizing the recycling of resources. The most well-known cryoprotectants are the antifreeze proteins and glycoproteins (AF(G)Ps), which were first identified in Antarctic fishes and allowed to avoid freezing in ice-laden waters and later have widely been found in the body of plants, insects, bacteria, and so forth.…”

“…Meanwhile, nature has inspired a promising approach to exploit the novel antifreeze cryoprotectant. The cryoprotectant mainly exerts the effects by ice nucleation, thermal hysteresis, ice recrystallization inhibition, and/or dynamic ice shaping . Therefore, the development of environmentally friendly renewable polymer-based cryoprotectants is of great importance for improving their cryopreservation applications, reducing the chemical and physical damages during freeze–thawing, and realizing the recycling of resources.…”

Recent advances, challenges and functional applications of antifreeze protein in food industry

“…It is precisely because of these characteristics that AFPs can bind to the ice surface and inhibit the growth of ice in the subsequent process (Tian et al, 2020). In addition, in the adsorption-inhibition theory, there is a point worthy of attention, that is, the adsorption of AFPs is almost irreversible, and their combination with ice crystals is very stable, and only when the ice crystals melt can they be separated (William et al, 2023). The theoretical support of this statement is based on the number of hydrogen bonds that need to be broken to release an AFGP or AFP molecule.…”

“…This is because the low water solubility results in most proteins binding with ice at the melting point. When the temperature drops, the density of irreversible adsorption of AFPs on the ice surface is higher, resulting in greater hysteresis activity (William et al, 2023). The THA can be measured by using nanolite osmometer (Arya et al, 2021) or differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (Rojas et al, 2022).…”