X-Message-Number: 16075
From: Brent Thomas <>
Subject: engineered cellular sugars resist freezing
Date: Thu, 19 Apr 2001 16:07:21 -0400

saw this interesting snippet in a story on the new scientist news site

                              Last year, Fred Levine of the University of
California in San Diego reported
                               that he had revived dried human cells after 5
days (New Scientist, 19 February
                               2000, p 11). But this technique doesn&apos;t
work for normal
                               cells--Levine&apos;s team had to genetically
modify the cells to make a sugar
                               called trehalose, which protects cells
against freezing and drying from the
                               inside. 

its been a persistant thought of mine that we might implement genetic
cellular alterations (ala gene therapy) designed to enhance cellular
reactions to freezing...things like production 
of natural anti-freeze components inside the cellular body instead of dosing
with cryoprotectants from the outside.

anyone heard anything about cellular trehalose sugar productions or other
such designed cellular modifications leading to better cryogenic
interactions?

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