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The chemical interaction between antifreeze proteins (AFPs) and ice crystals is evaluated via electrophoresis of AFP-anchored microparticles in fluidic channels formed in frozen aqueous sucrose. Straight fluidic channels are created in a flat glass chamber connecting two Ag/AgCl electrodes. This configuration allows us to estimate an electric field strength exerted on probe particles migrating along the channel. When the channel width is comparable to the particle size, the particle is immobile because of the resistance force induced by the interaction with the ice wall. However, when the overall electrophoretic force surpasses the resistance force, the microsphere starts to migrate. From the threshold electric field strengths determined for unmodified and AFP-modified particles, the resistance forces for the chemical interaction between AFPs and ice wall are estimated.

The present dataset is related to the research paper entitled “Reproducing Absorption Spectra of pH Indicators from RGB Values of Microscopic Images” (Inagawa et al., 2020). The dataset contains microscopic images of aqueous methyl orange (MO), absorption spectra acquired with a spectrophotometer, loading spectra and calculation sheets for reproducing absorption spectra of aqueous MO from their RGB values of the microscopic images. The microscopic transmission images of the standard MO solutions at various pH conditions were acquired with a CMOS camera equipped with an invert microscope. Meanwhile, the loading spectra were obtained by principle component analysis of a series of absorption spectra of the standard solutions. The conversion matrix from RGB values in a region of interests (ROI) to score values were linear-algebraically determined from the RGB values and score values of the standard solutions. The absorption spectra of the sample solutions of which pH conditions are unknown were then reproduced by calculating the linear combination of the loading spectra with the score values obtained from the conversion process. Herein, the absorption spectra of MO are reproduced at various pH and ROI conditions.

This paper proposes a simple and versatile method for the determination of the zeta potential of a channel wall and discusses the values measured for the surface of frozen solvents, which are not only of scientific interest but also of potential use for microfluidic platforms. The zeta potential of the solid surface is an important parameter for discussing its electrokinetic properties, the distribution and reaction of ions in an electric double layer, and the fluidic behavior in the space surrounded by the surface. While the zeta potential of colloidal matters can be determined from their electrophoretic mobility, it is often difficult to determine that of a bulk material. In this paper, the zeta potential of a microchannel fabricated in a frozen solvent is determined by measuring the apparent mobility of microparticles as the probe. The electrophoretic mobility of the microparticles has been measured in advance using microchip electrophoresis under various conditions. This approach allows us to determine the zeta potential of water-ice and frozen cyclohexane. We discuss the pH dependence of the zeta potential of ice and also effects of the NaCl concentration on that of ice and frozen cyclohexane.