I-Corps: Antifreeze Polypeptide-Based System for Biopreservation

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The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project involves the increasing demand for cell, tissue, and organ preservation which has resulted in a fast-expanding market of biopreservation. Preservative effectiveness largely depends on the technology of biopreservation solutions or media, where the properties and concentrations of the ingredients in the solutions play essential roles. Regular (or conventional) reagents in biopreservation solutions are usually alcohol-based or salt-based, which have considerable drawbacks including low effectiveness, cytotoxicity, and environmental impact. The technology of Antifreeze Polypeptide-Based (AFP) system can overcome the drawbacks of conventional reagents in biopreservation solutions. The I-Corps team will conduct customer-based research that include customer discovery, market research, and exploring commercial applications of AFP-based technology for biopreservation including proof-of-concept studies suggested during customer discovery.This I-Corps project is focused on a technology to improve biopreservation. Antifreeze polypeptides (AFPs) and certain small molecules are naturally produced by organisms, such as fish, insects, and plants, for their survival in extreme cold environments. AFPs are known to inhibit ice growth by binding to specific ice crystal surfaces. The freezing inhibition by AFPs is non-colligative, which is superior to regular/conventional antifreezes (e.g., sodium chloride, ethylene glycol). Recently, certain small molecules that do not exhibit non-colligative antifreeze properties, but can efficiently enhance the antifreeze effect of AFP over 10 times have been identified. More recently, the role for AFPs in inhibiting the formation of crystals in addition to ice has been revealed. In particular, AFPs can control the crystallization of certain carbohydrates and nucleosides much more effectively (comparing to their role in controlling ice crystallization) where these molecules often act as protectant molecules in biopreservation. Because of its highly effective, eco-friendly, and multifunctional characteristics, the proposed AFP-based system could be a potential advanced technology for biopreservation. The goal of this I-Corps team is to further investigate the value of this technology to the biopreservation market.