Water-Free Protein Ionic Liquids for Unrefrigerated Storage
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Solution Overview
Problem
Biological materials like proteins and antibodies are unstable and have short shelf-lives due to the detrimental effects of water, which requires refrigeration for storage and handling, but refrigeration is not always feasible, especially in areas without electricity.
Innovation Solution
Creating ultra-stable, water-free protein ionic liquids by cationizing aqueous protein complexes with stoichiometric amounts of positively-charged crosslinkers and titrating with counter anionic polymers to remove at least 95% of water, resulting in heat-resistant, biologically active proteins that maintain antigen recognition and binding affinity.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If water is present in biological materials to maintain structure and function, then biological activity is preserved, but stability and shelf-life are reduced due to hydrolysis, oxidation, and temperature sensitivity
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes water from biological materials by converting them into water-free ionic liquid forms. This extraction of the harmful component (water) eliminates hydrolysis, oxidation, and temperature-sensitive degradation while preserving the essential biological functions through maintained intramolecular interactions and binding capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates composite ionic liquid structures where biological molecules are integrated with ionic liquid components. This composite formation provides the dual benefit of maintaining biological activity (through preserved intramolecular interactions) and achieving enhanced stability (through the water-free ionic liquid matrix that resists degradation).
2Stability of the object's composition
If refrigeration is used to extend shelf-life of biological materials, then stability is improved, but ease of operation and accessibility are reduced due to electricity requirements and equipment needs
Solution Approach 1:
By removing water and creating water-free ionic liquid forms, the patent eliminates the need for refrigeration. The inherent stability of the water-free structure allows storage at ambient temperatures, making the biological materials accessible in locations without electricity or refrigeration equipment.
3Stability of the object's composition
If water is removed from biological materials to increase stability, then shelf-life is extended, but biological activity and intramolecular interactions may be disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates composite ionic liquid structures that integrate biological molecules with ionic liquid components. This composite approach maintains intramolecular interactions and binding capabilities essential for biological activity while achieving water-free stability, resolving the contradiction between stability and biological activity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the physical and chemical parameters of the biological material by converting it into an ionic liquid form. This parameter change (from aqueous to water-free ionic liquid) fundamentally alters the stability profile while preserving the functional parameters (binding affinity, antigen recognition) through maintained intramolecular interactions.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The resulting protein ionic liquids are stable at extreme temperatures, have significantly longer shelf-lives, and do not require refrigeration, making them suitable for unrefrigerated storage and handling, and can be transported to areas without access to refrigeration equipment while maintaining biological activity.
Implementation Method 1
cationizing the aqueous protein complexes by the addition of stoichiometric amounts of a positively-charged crosslinker in the presence of a coupling reagent
Implementation Method 2
lyophilizing the cationized protein complexes to remove at least about 95% of the water, forming a lyophilized solid
Implementation Method 3
heating the lyophilized solid to generate an ionic liquid
Implementation Method 4
heating the lyophilized solid to generate an ionic liquid
Data Source
AI summary
A method of forming a stable protein complex comprising: providing aqueous protein complexes, wherein the protein complexes are one or more of photosystem I complex from spinach, photosystem II complex from spinach, chlorophyll antennae, thylakoids, bacteriochlorophylls, chlorosomes, and photosystems from green algae, cyanobacteria, and plants; cationizing the aqueous protein complexes by the addition of stoichiometric amounts of a crosslinker in the presence of a coupling reagent; titrating the cationized protein complexes with a counter anionic polymer until the protein cation/anion pair solution becomes negative by zeta potential measurement, to create at least one antibody cation/anion pair in aqueous solution. The protein complexes cation/anion pair solution may be lyophilized to remove all of the water, forming a lyophilized solid. The lyophilized solid may be heated until a protein complex ionic liquid is generated. The cationized protein complexes may be purified from excess coupling reagents by dialysis in water.