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't work for normal cells--Levine'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? Rate This Message: http://www.cryonet.org/cgi-bin/rate.cgi?msg=16075