Proteins are widely used as drugs, insulin for diabetics is the best known example, and as reagents in research laboratories, but they react poorly to fluctuations in temperature and are known to degrade in storage.
The polymers consist of a polystyrene backbone and side chains of trehalose, a disaccharide found various plants and animals that can live for long periods with very little or no water. An example many people will recognize is Sea- Monkeys, the 'novelty aquarium pet' introduced in 1962. Sea–Monkeys can be purchased as kits that contain a white powder; when water is added, the powder becomes small shrimp whose long tails are said to resemble those of monkeys.
Trehalose is known to stabilize proteins when water is removed, and as a result, it is an additive in several protein drug formulations approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to treat cancer and other conditions.
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The above story is republished from materials provided by University of California.
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