Droplet freezing assays using a nanoliter osmometer

Cryobiology. 2023 Sep 7:104584. doi: 10.1016/j.cryobiol.2023.104584. Online ahead of print.ABSTRACTThe ability to accurately record the temperature at which ice nucleation occurs is critical for studying biological ice nucleators. Several instruments have been designed and custom built to make such measurements, but they are not yet on the market. Here we reproducibly measure ice nucleation temperatures down close to the homogeneous nucleation temperature of -38 °C with a commercially available nanoliter osmometer, which we routinely use to assay the thermal hysteresis activity of antifreeze proteins. This instrument has both a wide operating temperature range and fine temperature control, while the oil immersion format on 8- and 12-well grids prevents droplet evaporation and surface nucleation events. The results obtained are consistent with those reported on other instruments in common use.PMID:37689130 | DOI:10.1016/j.cryobiol.2023.104584

Source: Cryobiology - September 9, 2023 Category: Biology Authors: Jocelyn C Lee Thomas Hansen Peter L Davies Source Type: research