1
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Sirotinskaya V, Bar Dolev M, Yashunsky V, Bahari L, Braslavsky I. Extended Temperature Range of the Ice-Binding Protein Activity. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:7395-7404. [PMID: 38527127 PMCID: PMC11008235 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.3c03710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) are expressed in various organisms for several functions, such as protecting them from freezing and freeze injuries. Via adsorption on ice surfaces, IBPs depress ice growth and recrystallization and affect nucleation and ice shaping. IBPs have shown promise in mitigating ice growth under moderate supercooling conditions, but their functionality under cryogenic conditions has been less explored. In this study, we investigate the impact of two types of antifreeze proteins (AFPs): type III AFP from fish and a hyperactive AFP from an insect, the Tenebrio molitor AFP, in vitrified dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solutions. We report that these AFPs depress devitrification at -80 °C. Furthermore, in cases where devitrification does occur, AFPs depress ice recrystallization during the warming stage. The data directly demonstrate that AFPs are active at temperatures below the regime of homogeneous nucleation. This research paves the way for exploring AFPs as potential enhancers of cryopreservation techniques, minimizing ice-growth-related damage, and promoting advancements in this vital field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vera Sirotinskaya
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Maya Bar Dolev
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- Faculty
of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion, Haifa 3200003, Israel
| | - Victor Yashunsky
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
- The
Swiss Institute for Dryland Environmental and Energy Research, Ben Gurion University, Beer-Sheva 84105, Israel
| | - Liat Bahari
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Ido Braslavsky
- Institute
of Biochemistry, Food Science, and Nutrition, Robert H. Smith Faculty
of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The
Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
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2
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Chang XJ, Sands DC, Ewart KV. Paradoxical effects on ice nucleation are intrinsic to a small winter flounder antifreeze protein. BIOCHIMICA ET BIOPHYSICA ACTA. PROTEINS AND PROTEOMICS 2024; 1872:140973. [PMID: 37956730 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbapap.2023.140973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2023] [Revised: 11/08/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023]
Abstract
Antifreeze proteins (AFPs) bind to ice in solutions, resulting in non-colligative freezing point depression; however, their effects on ice nucleation are not well understood. The predominant plasma AFP of winter flounder (Pseudopleuronectes americanus) is AFP6, which is an amphiphilic alpha helix. In this study, AFP6 and modified constructs were produced as fusion proteins in Escherichia coli, subjected to proteolysis when required and purified prior to use. AFP6 and its recombinant fusion precursor generated similar thermal hysteresis and bipyramidal ice crystals, whereas an inactive mutant AFP6 produced hexagonal crystals and no hysteresis. Circular dichroism spectra of the wild-type and mutant AFP6 were consistent with an alpha helix. The effects of these proteins on ice nucleation were investigated alongside non-AFP proteins using a standard droplet freezing assay. In the presence of nucleating AgI, modest reductions in the nucleation temperature occurred with the addition of mutant AFP6, and several non-AFPs, suggesting non-specific inhibition of AgI-induced ice nucleation. In these experiments, both AFP6 and its recombinant precursor resulted in lower nucleation temperatures, consistent with an additional inhibitory effect. Conversely, in the absence of AgI, AFP6 induced ice nucleation, with no other proteins showing this effect. Nucleation by AFP6 was dose-dependent, reaching a maximum at 1.5 mM protein. Nucleation by AFP6 also required an ice-binding site, as the inactive mutant had no effect. Furthermore, the absence of nucleation by the recombinant precursor protein suggested that the fusion moiety was interfering with the formation of a surface capable of nucleating ice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xing Jian Chang
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Dane C Sands
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada
| | - Kathryn Vanya Ewart
- Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada; Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, PO Box 15000, Halifax, NS B3H 4R2, Canada.
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3
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Pariente N, Bar Dolev M, Braslavsky I. The Nanoliter Osmometer: Thermal Hysteresis Measurement. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2730:75-91. [PMID: 37943451 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3503-2_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
The nanoliter osmometer is one of the most common tools in the study of ice-binding proteins (IBPs). It is used not only to measure the thermal hysteresis activity of IBPs but also to explore ice shaping, ice adhesion, and ice growth and melting rates and patterns. The advantage of the nanoliter osmometer for the IBP study and for studying single ice crystals lies in the small sample volume, in the range of nanoliters. Such a small volume enables precise determination and control of the temperature with precision in the range of millidegrees. This chapter describes in detail the process of determination of thermal hysteresis using a nanoliter osmometer operated by a LabVIEW interface. We describe the preparation of suitable capillaries and sample injection, which is a challenging step in the measurement. We then describe the procedure of single crystal formation and the determination of the melting and freezing temperatures. Insights on crucial parameters are emphasized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nitsan Pariente
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maya Bar Dolev
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel
- Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Engineering, Technion - Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa, Israel
| | - Ido Braslavsky
- Institute of Biochemistry, Food Science and Nutrition, The Robert H. Smith Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environment, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel.
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4
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Melnik BS, Glukhova KA, Sokolova (Voronova) EA, Balalaeva IV, Garbuzynskiy SO, Finkelstein AV. Physics of Ice Nucleation and Antinucleation: Action of Ice-Binding Proteins. Biomolecules 2023; 14:54. [PMID: 38254654 PMCID: PMC10813080 DOI: 10.3390/biom14010054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 12/09/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Ice-binding proteins are crucial for the adaptation of various organisms to low temperatures. Some of these, called antifreeze proteins, are usually thought to inhibit growth and/or recrystallization of ice crystals. However, prior to these events, ice must somehow appear in the organism, either coming from outside or forming inside it through the nucleation process. Unlike most other works, our paper is focused on ice nucleation and not on the behavior of the already-nucleated ice, its growth, etc. The nucleation kinetics is studied both theoretically and experimentally. In the theoretical section, special attention is paid to surfaces that bind ice stronger than water and thus can be "ice nucleators", potent or relatively weak; but without them, ice cannot be nucleated in any way in calm water at temperatures above -30 °C. For experimental studies, we used: (i) the ice-binding protein mIBP83, which is a previously constructed mutant of a spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana antifreeze protein, and (ii) a hyperactive ice-binding antifreeze protein, RmAFP1, from a longhorn beetle Rhagium mordax. We have shown that RmAFP1 (but not mIBP83) definitely decreased the ice nucleation temperature of water in test tubes (where ice originates at much higher temperatures than in bulk water and thus the process is affected by some ice-nucleating surfaces) and, most importantly, that both of the studied ice-binding proteins significantly decreased the ice nucleation temperature that had been significantly raised in the presence of potent ice nucleators (CuO powder and ice-nucleating bacteria Pseudomonas syringae). Additional experiments on human cells have shown that mIBP83 is concentrated in some cell regions of the cooled cells. Thus, the ice-binding protein interacts not only with ice, but also with other sites that act or potentially may act as ice nucleators. Such ice-preventing interaction may be the crucial biological task of ice-binding proteins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bogdan S. Melnik
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (K.A.G.); (S.O.G.)
| | - Ksenia A. Glukhova
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (K.A.G.); (S.O.G.)
| | - Evgeniya A. Sokolova (Voronova)
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (I.V.B.)
| | - Irina V. Balalaeva
- Institute of Biology and Biomedicine, Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod, 603022 Nizhny Novgorod, Russia (I.V.B.)
| | - Sergiy O. Garbuzynskiy
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (K.A.G.); (S.O.G.)
| | - Alexei V. Finkelstein
- Institute of Protein Research, Russian Academy of Sciences, 142290 Pushchino, Russia; (K.A.G.); (S.O.G.)
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 142290 Pushchino, Russia
- Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 119192 Moscow, Russia
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5
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Lee JC, Hansen T, Davies PL. Droplet freezing assays using a nanoliter osmometer. Cryobiology 2023; 113:104584. [PMID: 37689130 DOI: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2023.104584] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2023] [Revised: 09/05/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/11/2023]
Abstract
The ability to accurately record the temperature at which ice nucleation occurs is critical for studying biological ice nucleators. Several instruments have been designed and custom built to make such measurements, but they are not yet on the market. Here we reproducibly measure ice nucleation temperatures down close to the homogeneous nucleation temperature of -38 °C with a commercially available nanoliter osmometer, which we routinely use to assay the thermal hysteresis activity of antifreeze proteins. This instrument has both a wide operating temperature range and fine temperature control, while the oil immersion format on 12-well grids prevents droplet evaporation and surface nucleation events. The results obtained are consistent with those reported on other instruments in common use.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jocelyn C Lee
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Thomas Hansen
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Peter L Davies
- Department of Biomedical and Molecular Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, Canada.
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6
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Georgiou PG, Kinney NLH, Kontopoulou I, Baker AN, Hindmarsh SA, Bissoyi A, Congdon TR, Whale TF, Gibson MI. Poly(vinyl alcohol) Molecular Bottlebrushes Nucleate Ice. Biomacromolecules 2022; 23:5285-5296. [PMID: 36441868 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biomac.2c01097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Ice binding proteins (IBP) have evolved to limit the growth of ice but also to promote ice formation by ice-nucleating proteins (INPs). IBPs, which modulate these seemingly distinct processes, often have high sequence similarities, and molecular size/assembly is hypothesized to be a crucial determinant. There are only a few synthetic materials that reproduce INP function, and rational design of ice nucleators has not been achieved due to outstanding questions about the mechanisms of ice binding. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a water-soluble synthetic polymer well known to effectively block ice recrystallization, by binding to ice. Here, we report the synthesis of a polymeric ice nucleator, which mimics the dense assembly of IBPs, using confined ice-binding polymers in a high-molar-mass molecular bottlebrush. Poly(vinyl alcohol)-based molecular bottlebrushes with different side-chain densities were synthesized via a combination of ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer (RAFT) polymerization, using "grafting-to" and "grafting-through" approaches. The facile preparation of the PVA bottlebrushes was performed via selective hydrolysis of the acetate of the poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) side chains of the PVAc bottlebrush precursors. Ice-binding polymer side-chain density was shown to be crucial for nucleation activity, with less dense brushes resulting in colder nucleation than denser brushes. This bio-inspired approach provides a synthetic framework for probing heterogeneous ice nucleation and a route toward defined synthetic nucleators for biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis G Georgiou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Nina L H Kinney
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Ioanna Kontopoulou
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Alexander N Baker
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Steven A Hindmarsh
- Department of Physics, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Akalabya Bissoyi
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Thomas R Congdon
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Thomas F Whale
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
| | - Matthew I Gibson
- Department of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.,Division of Biomedical Sciences, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K
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7
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Abstract
Abstract
Antifreeze proteins, expressed in cold-blooded organisms, prevent ice formation in their bodies, and thus help them to survive in extremely cold winter temperatures. However, the mechanism of action of these proteins is still not clear. In any case, it is not simply a decrease in the temperature of normal ice formation. In this work, investigating the ice-binding protein (a mutant form of the antifreeze protein cfAFP from the spruce budworm Choristoneura fumiferana, which overwinters in needles), we showed that this antifreeze protein does not at all lower the freezing point of water and, paradoxically, increases the melting point of ice. On the other hand, calculations based on the theory of crystallization show that at temperatures of 0 ° to –30°C ice can only appear on surfaces that contact water, but not in the body of water. These facts suggest a new perspective on the role of antifreeze proteins: their task is not (as it is commonly believed) to bind with nascent ice crystals already formed in the organism and stop their growth, but to bind to those surfaces, on which ice nuclei can appear, and thus completely inhibit the ice formation in supercooled water or biological fluid.
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8
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Chen X, Wu J, Li X, Yang F, Huang D, Huang J, Wang S, Guyonnet V. Snow flea antifreeze peptide for cryopreservation of lactic acid bacteria. NPJ Sci Food 2022; 6:10. [PMID: 35115563 PMCID: PMC8813996 DOI: 10.1038/s41538-022-00128-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2021] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Cryogenic machining is one of the most commonly used techniques for processing and preserving in food industry, and traditional antifreeze agents cannot regulate the mechanical stress damage caused by ice crystals formed during recrystallization or thawing. In this study, we successfully developed an express system of a novel recombinant snow flea antifreeze peptide (rsfAFP), which has significant ice recrystallization inhibition ability, thermal hysteresis activity and alters ice nucleation, thus regulating extracellular ice crystal morphology and recrystallization. We showed that rsfAFP improved the survival rate, acid-producing ability, freezing stability, and cellular metabolism activity of Streptococcus thermophilus. We further showed that rsfAFP interacts with the membrane and ice crystals to cover the outer layer of cells, forming a dense protective layer that maintains the physiological functions of S. thermophilus under freezing stress. These findings provide the scientific basis for using rsfAFP as an effective antifreeze agent for lactic acid bacteria cryopreservation or other frozen food.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Chen
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.,College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Jinhong Wu
- Department of Food Science and Engineering, School of Agriculture and Biology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, 200240, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiaozhen Li
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Fujia Yang
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.,College of Chemical Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China
| | - Dan Huang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Frozen Processed Aquatic Products, 361022, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Anjoy Food Co. Ltd, 361022, Xiamen, China
| | - Jianlian Huang
- Fujian Provincial Key Laboratory of Frozen Processed Aquatic Products, 361022, Xiamen, China.,Fujian Anjoy Food Co. Ltd, 361022, Xiamen, China
| | - Shaoyun Wang
- College of Biological Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, 350108, Fuzhou, Fujian, China.
| | - Vincent Guyonnet
- FFI Consulting Ltd, 2488 Lyn Road, Brockville, ON, K6V 5T3, Canada
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9
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Mompeán M, Oroz J, Laurents DV. Do polyproline II helix associations modulate biomolecular condensates? FEBS Open Bio 2021; 11:2390-2399. [PMID: 33934561 PMCID: PMC8409303 DOI: 10.1002/2211-5463.13163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Revised: 03/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Biomolecular condensates are microdroplets that form inside cells and serve to selectively concentrate proteins, RNAs and other molecules for a variety of physiological functions, but can contribute to cancer, neurodegenerative diseases and viral infections. The formation of these condensates is driven by weak, transient interactions between molecules. These weak associations can operate at the level of whole protein domains, elements of secondary structure or even moieties composed of just a few atoms. Different types of condensates do not generally combine to form larger microdroplets, suggesting that each uses a distinct class of attractive interactions. Here, we address whether polyproline II (PPII) helices mediate condensate formation. By combining with PPII-binding elements such as GYF, WW, profilin, SH3 or OCRE domains, PPII helices help form lipid rafts, nuclear speckles, P-body-like neuronal granules, enhancer complexes and other condensates. The number of PPII helical tracts or tandem PPII-binding domains can strongly influence condensate stability. Many PPII helices have a low content of proline residues, which hinders their identification. Recently, we characterized the NMR spectral properties of a Gly-rich, Pro-poor protein composed of six PPII helices. Based on those results, we predicted that many Gly-rich segments may form PPII helices and interact with PPII-binding domains. This prediction is being tested and could join the palette of verified interactions contributing to biomolecular condensate formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Mompeán
- Departamento de Química Física BiológicaInstituto de Química Física RocasolanoCSICMadridEspaña
| | - Javier Oroz
- Departamento de Química Física BiológicaInstituto de Química Física RocasolanoCSICMadridEspaña
| | - Douglas V. Laurents
- Departamento de Química Física BiológicaInstituto de Química Física RocasolanoCSICMadridEspaña
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10
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Georgiou P, Marton HL, Baker AN, Congdon TR, Whale TF, Gibson MI. Polymer Self-Assembly Induced Enhancement of Ice Recrystallization Inhibition. J Am Chem Soc 2021; 143:7449-7461. [PMID: 33944551 PMCID: PMC8154521 DOI: 10.1021/jacs.1c01963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Ice binding proteins modulate ice nucleation/growth and have huge (bio)technological potential. There are few synthetic materials that reproduce their function, and rational design is challenging due to the outstanding questions about the mechanisms of ice binding, including whether ice binding is essential to reproduce all their macroscopic properties. Here we report that nanoparticles obtained by polymerization-induced self-assembly (PISA) inhibit ice recrystallization (IRI) despite their constituent polymers having no apparent activity. Poly(ethylene glycol), poly(dimethylacrylamide), and poly(vinylpyrrolidone) coronas were all IRI-active when assembled into nanoparticles. Different core-forming blocks were also screened, revealing the core chemistry had no effect. These observations show ice binding domains are not essential for macroscopic IRI activity and suggest that the size, and crowding, of polymers may increase the IRI activity of "non-active" polymers. It was also discovered that poly(vinylpyrrolidone) particles had ice crystal shaping activity, indicating this polymer can engage ice crystal surfaces, even though on its own it does not show any appreciable ice recrystallization inhibition. Larger (vesicle) nanoparticles are shown to have higher ice recrystallization inhibition activity compared to smaller (sphere) particles, whereas ice nucleation activity was not found for any material. This shows that assembly into larger structures can increase IRI activity and that increasing the "size" of an IRI does not always lead to ice nucleation. This nanoparticle approach offers a platform toward ice-controlling soft materials and insight into how IRI activity scales with molecular size of additives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Panagiotis
G. Georgiou
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
| | - Huba L. Marton
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
| | - Alexander N. Baker
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
| | - Thomas R. Congdon
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
| | - Thomas F. Whale
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
| | - Matthew I. Gibson
- Department
of Chemistry, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
- Warwick
Medical School, University of Warwick, Gibbet Hill Road, CV4 7AL Coventry, U.K.
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11
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Fitzgerald JL, Stuble KL, Nichols LM, Diamond SE, Wentworth TR, Pelini SL, Gotelli NJ, Sanders NJ, Dunn RR, Penick CA. Abundance of spring‐ and winter‐active arthropods declines with warming. Ecosphere 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Jacquelyn L. Fitzgerald
- Plant Biology and Conservation Northwestern University Evanston Illinois60201USA
- Negaunee Institute for Plant Conservation Science & Action Chicago Botanic Garden Glencoe Illinois60022USA
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina27695USA
| | | | - Lauren M. Nichols
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina27695USA
| | - Sarah E. Diamond
- Department of Biology Case Western Reserve University Cleveland Ohio44106USA
| | - Thomas R. Wentworth
- Department of Plant and Microbial Biology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina27695USA
| | - Shannon L. Pelini
- Department of Biological Sciences Bowling Green State University Bowling Green Ohio43403USA
| | | | - Nathan J. Sanders
- Environmental Program Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources University of Vermont Burlington Vermont05405USA
| | - Robert R. Dunn
- Department of Applied Ecology North Carolina State University Raleigh North Carolina27695USA
- Center for Evolutionary Hologenomics University of Copenhagen CopenhagenDK‐2100Denmark
| | - Clint A. Penick
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Organismal Biology Kennesaw State University Kennesaw Georgia30144USA
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12
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Porter GCE, Sikora SNF, Shim JU, Murray BJ, Tarn MD. On-chip density-based sorting of supercooled droplets and frozen droplets in continuous flow. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:3876-3887. [PMID: 32966480 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00690d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The freezing of supercooled water to ice and the materials which catalyse this process are of fundamental interest to a wide range of fields. At present, our ability to control, predict or monitor ice formation processes is poor. The isolation and characterisation of frozen droplets from supercooled liquid droplets would provide a means of improving our understanding and control of these processes. Here, we have developed a microfluidic platform for the continuous flow separation of frozen from unfrozen picolitre droplets based on differences in their density, thus allowing the sorting of ice crystals and supercooled water droplets into different outlet channels with 94 ± 2% efficiency. This will, in future, facilitate downstream or off-chip processing of the frozen and unfrozen populations, which could include the analysis and characterisation of ice-active materials or the selection of droplets with a particular ice-nucleating activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace C E Porter
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | | | - Jung-Uk Shim
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Benjamin J Murray
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Mark D Tarn
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
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13
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Tarn MD, Sikora SNF, Porter GCE, Wyld BV, Alayof M, Reicher N, Harrison AD, Rudich Y, Shim JU, Murray BJ. On-chip analysis of atmospheric ice-nucleating particles in continuous flow. LAB ON A CHIP 2020; 20:2889-2910. [PMID: 32661539 DOI: 10.1039/d0lc00251h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Ice-nucleating particles (INPs) are of atmospheric importance because they catalyse the freezing of supercooled cloud droplets, strongly affecting the lifetime and radiative properties of clouds. There is a need to improve our knowledge of the global distribution of INPs, their seasonal cycles and long-term trends, but our capability to make these measurements is limited. Atmospheric INP concentrations are often determined using assays involving arrays of droplets on a cold stage, but such assays are frequently limited by the number of droplets that can be analysed per experiment, often involve manual processing (e.g. pipetting of droplets), and can be susceptible to contamination. Here, we present a microfluidic platform, the LOC-NIPI (Lab-on-a-Chip Nucleation by Immersed Particle Instrument), for the generation of water-in-oil droplets and their freezing in continuous flow as they pass over a cold plate for atmospheric INP analysis. LOC-NIPI allows the user to define the number of droplets analysed by simply running the platform for as long as required. The use of small (∼100 μm diameter) droplets minimises the probability of contamination in any one droplet and therefore allows supercooling all the way down to homogeneous freezing (around -36 °C), while a temperature probe in a proxy channel provides an accurate measure of temperature without the need for temperature modelling. The platform was validated using samples of pollen extract and Snomax®, with hundreds of droplets analysed per temperature step and thousands of droplets being measured per experiment. Homogeneous freezing of purified water was studied using >10 000 droplets with temperature increments of 0.1 °C. The results were reproducible, independent of flow rate in the ranges tested, and the data compared well to conventional instrumentation and literature data. The LOC-NIPI was further benchmarked in a field campaign in the Eastern Mediterranean against other well-characterised instrumentation. The continuous flow nature of the system provides a route, with future development, to the automated monitoring of atmospheric INP at field sites around the globe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark D Tarn
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | | | - Grace C E Porter
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK. and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Bethany V Wyld
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Matan Alayof
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Naama Reicher
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | | | - Yinon Rudich
- Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
| | - Jung-Uk Shim
- School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
| | - Benjamin J Murray
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK.
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