The capacity of Antarctic fishes to resist freezing in ice-laden seawater at temperatures well below the normal freezing point of body fluids represents one of the major adaptations to polar conditions. DeVries plans to lead an interdisciplinary team in studies on the function of antifreezes in preventing the propogation of ice crystals in the intestinal fluid, the biophysics of antifreeze-ice interactions, and the molecular biology and organization of the antifreeze genes. The nature of the mechanisms which provide freezing resistance are of great evolutionary and ecological importance. In addition, continued studies of the antifreeze system should reveal new aspects of ice-crystal growth which could have implications for crystallography, nucleation theory, medicine, vitrification, and frozen-food technology.
