Chemists have created a family of synthetic compounds akin to proteins that keep
Arctic and Antarctic fish from freezing stiff. If the new molecules can work as
well as the fish proteins do, they could offer a new route to protecting frozen
foods and chilled transplant organs from destructive ice buildup.
Researchers discovered these so-called antifreeze proteins in the 1960s (SN:
4/19/97, p. 237). Scientists believe that the compounds bind to tiny ice crystals