Anti - Freeze - Proteine

Antifreeze Proteins

The growth of ice crystals at constant low temperatures is a problem in cryostorage of blood and other substances. The crystals change their biological and chemical characteristics resulting in negative effects impacting of the whole organic system. The  growth of ice crystals has an extraordinary destructive force on biological cells, perforating large areas of the cell wall. This can lead to a impairment of the whole organism up to cell death.

The aim of this  project is by to analyze the characteristics of AFP and to develop new manufacturing procedures with the help of partners from industry and academia.

   

Project Deliverables

Our Aims:

  • production of Anti-Freeze-Proteins (AFP) in herbal bio reactor cultures in controlled conditions
  • manufacturing of herbal cell cultures
  • proove the Anti-Freeze-activity of proteins in plants
  • testing of one application  pardigma: application of herbal anti-freeze proteins as a cryoprotectant substance for the long-term storage of human stem cells and herbal materials.
   

Anti-Freeze-Proteins?

Some species in polar regions of the earth have developed an ability to avoid cell death as a result of cristallization. For instance, fish possess the ability to survive in salt water with temperatures below zero degree by so-called anti-freeze proteins. The trick: Certain proteins limit the growth of the ice crystals.  Because water is absorbed during crystal growth, water is attracted leading to a spread of the crystals. The proteins stick to the growing crystals and prevent further water absorption. This stops the growth of ice crystals. Therefore AFPs do not reduce the freezing point proportionally to their concentration, but it counteract the colligative charateristics.

antifreeze protein www.pnas.org

Icecrystal with docked antifreeze protein

With this technology several problems in the human medicine, in red biotechnology and the food industry could be adressed. For example, organs could be freezed in very gentle way to avoid the cell death during transplantation of organs. In the same  way, new perspectives for the long-term storage of blood will be generated from this project. Equally, the usually diminished quality of fresh food produce such as vegetables and fruit can be prevented.

 

 

antifreeze protein www.pnas.org
   

Partners

Project Partners:

bioplanta gmbh BioPlanta GmbH is an engineering company based in Leipzig focuses on water, polluted areas and environmental technology. Started in 1992, the BioPlanta looks back on several sucessful international projects. A new focus is the production of biological pharmaceutical ingredients.
fraunhofer - izi The Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology  iidentifies special solutions at the interfaceof  medicine, engineering und biology. The institute is based in Leipzig and maintains a large GMP-facility and lab space for biomedical and immunological research.
link_1256554578_logo_vita_34_ag1 Vita34 AG is in the oldest and most experienced umbilical  cord blood bank in Central Germany.  VITA34 focuses on  stem cell science and process technology.
ipk-portal-banner-ipk_logo  The Leibniz-Institute at Gatersleben for Plant Genetics and Crop Plant Research (IPK) ranks among the internationally most renowned and improtant centers for plant research.
The Leibniz Institute of Plant Biochemistry aims at the functional analysis of metabolic diversity with interdisciplinary approaches.