Science News Archive

Bitten By the Ice-cream Bug

What have ice-cream and Antarctic bacteria got in common, apart from both coming from frozen places? Well, ice-creams of the future may be made extra smooth with the help of bacteria which grow in Antarctic lakes. Scientists have found a natural antifreeze in these bacteria. It works by stopping ice crystals growing too large - just the same as the antifreeze you put on car windscreens. But not so toxic of course. This makes a smoother textured icecream. The next problem facing the scientists from Unilever is how to get enough of the protein which they call "marinomonin" - where do they get these names from!

29th Sep 2001