Prevention of ice nucleation by polyglycerol
OwnerGreg Fahy, Brian Wowkinventors
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Linear polymers of glycerol can prevent or delay ice nucleation in a variety of contexts. Polyglycerol can also be employed in combination with other ice control agents, such as polyvinyl alcohol/polyvinyl acetate copolymers and antifreeze proteins, to provide antinucleation effects that are superior to those of either polyglycerol or the co-antinucleator alone. Polyglycerol has a number of advantageous physical and toxicological properties, such as extreme water solubility, non-toxicity to human beings, non-toxicity to animal tissues and organs in vitro even at extreme concentrations, minimal foaming tendency, minimal retention on hydrophobic surfaces, and stability in solution without the need for periodic heating to reactivate its antinucleation properties.
Claims29
A method of promoting the ability of a cell or tissue preservation solution to be used to preserve biological material in a supercooled state of temperatures below 0° C., comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to the solution, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
An ice inhibiting molecule having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000 wherein said molecule is covalently bonded to a hydrophobic group, and wherein the added hydrophobic group renders the molecule soluble in a hydrophobic solvent.
A method of preventing the freezing of water impurities in a hydrophobic fluid, comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to said fluid, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of inhibiting the ice forming tendency of ice nucleating bacteria and the proteins said bacteria produce comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to surfaces or solutions containing said bacteria, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of inhibiting the recrystallization of ice in a solution comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to the solution, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of removing ice nucleating agents from water or a water solution, comprising passing the water or water solution over or through an insoluble material, said material being bonded to molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of preventing ice nucleation in supercooled water droplets in a rain cloud, comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to the water droplets, said ice inhibiting molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of promoting the ability of water to supercool, comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to the water, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000, and further adding polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) ice inhibiting compounds.
A method of promoting the ability of water to supercool comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to the water, said molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A method of promoting the ability of a water-containing solution to supercool, comprising adding ice inhibiting molecules to said water-containing solution, said ice inhibiting molecules having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A cryoprotectant solution for cryopreservation by vitrification, comprising ice inhibiting molecules present in concentrations of about 0.1% w/v to about 3% w/v, wherein said ice inhibiting molecules have the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
A molecule for inhibiting ice formation and growth, said molecule having the following formula:
- (Ra[—OCR2CROHCR2—]nRb) where R, Ra and Rb are H, OH, C1 to C6 alkoxy or amino and wherein n is about 2 to about 1000.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.