Ice Recrystallization Inhibiting Polymers Enable Glycerol-Free Cryopreservation of Microorganisms.

ABSTRACT: All modern molecular biology and microbiology is underpinned by not only the tools to handle and manipulate microorganisms but also those to store, bank, and transport them. Glycerol is the current gold-standard cryoprotectant, but it is intrinsically toxic to most microorganisms: only a fraction of cells survive freezing and the presence of glycerol can impact downstream applications and assays. Extremophile organisms survive repeated freeze/thaw cycles by producing antifreeze proteins which are potent ice recrystallization inhibitors. Here we introduce a new concept for the storage/transport of microorganisms by using ice recrystallization inhibiting poly(vinyl alcohol) in tandem with poly(ethylene glycol). This cryopreserving formulation is shown to result in a 4-fold increase in E. col

SUBMITTER: Hasan M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6588267 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature