Antifreeze molecules in Nototheniid fish around Davis Station, Antarctica

A report completed as part of this project is available for download from the URL given below. Extracts of the report are presented in the metadata record. See the report for full details. Several species of Antarctic fish were collected from the shallow waters off Davis Station during the 2000-01 season as part of a study examining the properties of 'antifreeze' proteins contained within the blood of these animals. Fish were sampled at regular intervals from a range of depths and various sites near the station. The main objectives of the study were to collect serum and selected tissues from Nototheniid (cod) and Channichthyid (ice fish) species. Over 170 fish were collected throughout the calendar year. Samples were taken as required, processed and the fish preserved for further analysis on return to Australia. In Australia the serum will be tested for special antifreeze molecules that allow these animals to live in water that is colder than the usual freezing point of their body fluids. Such molecules, once identified, may be synthesised in a laboratory, and have numerous potential practical applications, from the preservation of frozen foods, to preservation of blood plasma and organs for human transplant. Analyses of this nature will be undertaken at the University of Sydney.