Scientists engineer 'BioPykrete' ice reinforced with cellulose and protein glue
Researchers created a reinforced ice material called BioPykrete by combining ice with cellulose nanocrystals and a custom-designed protein, CBM3a-AFPIII, that bonds the two together. In small-scale laboratory tests, the composite proved roughly 10 times stronger than ordinary ice and absorbed 70 times more energy before fracturing. The study was published in the journal Colloids and Surfaces B: Biointerfaces.