<i>Upis ceramboides</i> (Alaska Beetle) (2 of 2) (IMAGE)

University of Alaska Fairbanks

<i>Upis ceramboides</i> (Alaska Beetle) (2 of 2)

Caption

Scientists have identified a novel antifreeze molecule in this freeze-tolerant Alaska beetle, Upis ceramboides, able to survive temperatures below minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Unlike all previously described biological antifreezes that contain protein, this new molecule, called xylomannan, has little or no protein. It is composed of a sugar and a fatty acid and may exist in new places within the cells of organisms.

Credit

Todd Sformo, wildlife biologist, North Slope (Alaska) Borough, Department of Wildlife Management. Franziska Kohl, research professional, Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

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