James A. Raymond

Associate Research Professor

Ph.D. University of California, San Diego

Physiological and Biochemical Adaptations of Polar Organisms

raymond@unlv.nevada.edu

Polar organisms have developed a variety of biochemical strategies for surviving at freezing temperatures. Presently I am investigating a family of ice-binding proteins produced by ice algae that appear to act as cryoprotectants. These proteins have relatives in cryophilic bacterial and fungi and so one of the goals is to understand how such different organisms ended up with similar proteins. A second goal is to understand how the proteins function by investigating how their expressions are affected by environmental variables and intracellular location. I am also interested in seeing whether these proteins have applications in preserving other cell types, such as red blood cells.

Selected Publications

• Janech, M.G, Krell, A., Mock, T., Kang, J-S, and J. A. Raymond. 2006. Ice-binding proteins from sea ice diatoms (Bacillariophyceae). Journal of Phycology. 42: 410-416.
• Kang, J-S, and J.A. Raymond. 2004. Reduction of freeze-thaw-induced hemolysis of red blood cells by an algal ice-binding protein. Cryo-Letters. 225: 307-310.
• Raymond, J.A., and C.A. Knight. 2003. Ice binding, recrystallization inhibition and cryoprotective properties of ice-active substances associated with Antarctic sea ice diatoms. Cryobiology. 46: 174-181.
• Raymond, J.A. and M. Janech. 2003. Cryoprotective property of diatom ice-active substance. Cryobiology (letter to editor). 46: 203-204.
• Raymond, J.A. and C.H. Fritsen. 2001. Semi-purification of ice recrystallization inhibition activity of ice-active substances associated with Antarctic photosynthetic organisms. Cryobiology. 43: 63-70.