Prof. Dong-jun (Korea University) and Prof. Do-Nyun Kim (Seoul National University)’s research results published in Science Advances
It is the first case of DNA origami structure cell cryopreservation.
The first case of introducing deep learning to analyze the performance of ice control materials

The joint research team of Professor Do-Nyun Kim of our department and Professor Dong-Jun Ahn of the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering of Korea University (KU-KIST Graduate School of Convergence) has developed a biocompatible DNA nanoparticle that can achieve higher restoration performance even at a much lower concentration than chemical cryopreservatives when cryopreserving cells. material was developed.
Recently, with the advancement of medical science, such as stem cells, cord blood, sperm and egg cryopreservation, and the invention of various cell therapy products, the need for stable cryopreservation methods for high value-added biological samples/products is increasing. This is also manifested in the industrial development of the cold chain field, and the global cell therapy market is expected to reach $ 442 billion in 2023, and the cell banking market is also continuously growing.
However, conventional chemical cryopreservatives such as dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) have biotoxicity, can damage biological samples in the process of using an excessive amount to lower the freezing point, and cause side effects when injected into the body after thawing. Due to this, there is a disadvantage in that the exposure time after thawing is reduced as much as possible or the biological sample immediately after thawing cannot be used. In addition, in the case of high value-added biological samples, they may be more vulnerable to damage occurring during the freezing process, requiring a customized cryopreservative suitable for each biological sample.
The research team combined and arranged a protein sequence with freezing control performance in an origami structure made with DNA nanotechnology, and it was non-cytotoxic and about 50 times more effective than conventional chemical cryopreservatives (DMSO) even at extremely low concentrations of 1/3,500 times. A cryopreservation material with a high % cell restoration rate was developed. By using the complementary binding property of DNA, it is possible to diversify the types and arrangements of freezing control functional groups, thus showing high potential for future development.
The result of this study is the first case in which DNA origami structures are used for cell cryopreservation, and the first case in which deep learning is introduced to analyze the performance of freezing control materials. In particular, compared to chemical cryopreservatives, the advantage of this material was particularly prominent when stored for a long period of time, and since this study revealed the cryopreservation mechanism of DNA origami nanopatch, it is planned to expand its application to various biological samples.

The results of this research were publishedline October 28th in Science Advances (IF=14.972), an authoritative journal in the field of convergence science and technology, and the research team secured a number of domestic and foreign patent portfolios.
- Author Information: Dongjun Ahn (corresponding author/Korea University), Do-Nyun Kim (corresponding author/Seoul National University), Chanseok Lee (co-first author/Seoul National University), Yedam Lee (co-first author/Korea University), Woohyuk Jeong (Korea University), Taeyeon Kim (Seoul National University), Taehwi Kim (Seoul National University)
- Paper title: Peptide-DNA origami as a cryoprotectant for cell preservation
- DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add0185