3. Growth Rate of the Ice Crystal Grown in the Solution of Trehalose and Water(the 47th Annual Meeting)

Abstract

In-situ observations of an ice crystal growing in the solution of trehalose and water at various supercoolings were performed to investigate how trehalose suppresses the growth of ice crystals and protects organisms from the freezing of their cellular water. The growth rate along the a-axis of an ice crystal grown in a trehalose solution increased proportionally to the second power of the supercooling. The growth rate was suppressed to one forth when the concentration of trehalose was doubled. 20.8wt% trehalose solution suppressed the growth rate as well as 41.5wt% sucrose solution. Trehalose significantly suppressed the instability of ice crystals than sucrose. These results are considered to be related to the fact that a trehalose molecule binds more water molecules than does a sucrose molecule.