Grant: Foundation Grant
Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario)
$3,451,633.00
Discovery and engineering of ice-binding proteins for health applications.
FY 2015-16
Summary
Some organisms resist freezing to below -30 °C, but quickly die if ice forms in the body. Other organisms actively promote freezing at -2 °C and can tolerate freezing and thawing with minimal damage. My CIHR-funded research program has discovered ice-binding proteins that control these processes. They include antifreeze proteins that stop the growth of ice and protect animals and their organs, tissues and cells from freezing; as well as ice recrystallization inhibitors used by freeze-tolerant organisms to lessen the damage that occurs on freezing and thawing. Here we will apply these ice-binding proteins to cool organs well below 0 °C so that they can be kept for longer and hence increase the supply of organs for transplant. We will also use these proteins to improve the recovery of frozen blood and stem cells for transfusions. In addition, we will engineer improvements to the ice-binding proteins that will give them greater activity and potency for these human health applications.
Department
Program
Foundation Grant
Location
Ontario, Canada
Type
Grant
Source
CIHR Funding Decisions Database
As published
Id
333628
Name
Davies Peter L
Region
Ontario
Country
Canada
Orgtype
Institution Paid; Research Institution
Instname2
Genetics
Theme2
Biomedical
Prcname2
Foundation Grant
Projecttitle
Discovery and engineering of ice-binding proteins for health applications.
Programtype2
Operating Grants
Orgnameinp2
Queen's University (Kingston, Ontario)
Cihramount2
$3,451,633
Cihrequipment2
$0
Programname2
Foundation Grant
Keyworddelim
Antifreeze Proteins; Cell Transfusion; Cryomedicine; Ice-Water Transitions; Molecular Dynamics; Organ Transplantation; Protein Engineering; Protein Purification; Protein Structure-Function; X-Ray Crystallography
Abstract
Some organisms resist freezing to below -30 °C, but quickly die if ice forms in the body. Other organisms actively promote freezing at -2 °C and can tolerate freezing and thawing with minimal damage. My CIHR-funded research program has discovered ice-binding proteins that control these processes. They include antifreeze proteins that stop the growth of ice and protect animals and their organs, tissues and cells from freezing; as well as ice recrystallization inhibitors used by freeze-tolerant organisms to lessen the damage that occurs on freezing and thawing. Here we will apply these ice-binding proteins to cool organs well below 0 °C so that they can be kept for longer and hence increase the supply of organs for transplant. We will also use these proteins to improve the recovery of frozen blood and stem cells for transfusions. In addition, we will engineer improvements to the ice-binding proteins that will give them greater activity and potency for these human health applications.
Competitiondate
201509
Approvedterm2
7 yrs 0 mth
Pinamesdelim
Davies, Peter L
Approvedterm
7 ans 0 mois
Cihrcontribution2
~ $3,451,633~ $0~
