Breakthrough changes how we think about ice formation

In November 2026, scientists, politicians and diplomats from all over the world will meet at the Falling Walls Science Summit in Berlin, Germany, to highlight the most impactful scientific breakthroughs of the year. Boise State Assistant Professor Konrad Meister will join them as a top 10 honoree in the physical sciences category, for his discovery of a new protein that controls ice formation.

The Falling Walls appearance will be the exclamation point on a busy year for Meister, which included a breakthrough paper in the journal "Science Advances;" an October visit to the GESDA Anticipation Summit in Geneva, Switzerland; a translational research fellowship from IGEM and Transform; and a Facilities Integrating Collaborations for User Science (FICUS) award from the Department of Energy.

It all started with the discovery of a tiny protein that has global implications.

Discovering the first soluble ice-nucleating protein

When does water turn to ice? When it reaches 32° F, or 0° C, is the obvious answer, but it's not quite true. Water can only freeze at this temperature thanks to unique chemical agents called ice nucleators. In ultrapure water, without ice nucleators, it freezes in unpredictable ways at temperatures as cold as -38° C.

Meister studies ice-nucleating proteins, the most efficient ice makers we know of. His recent work, published in "Science Advances," describes the first water-soluble ice nucleator.

The discovery has significant implications for agriculture, biomedicine and recreation industries. Ice-nucleating agents are used in cloud seeding to promote precipitation, snowmaking at ski resorts and to control precise freezing in biomedical applications.

The water-soluble protein Meister discovered could change the way we make ice across these sectors and potentially provide an environmentally-friendly, cheaper and traceable alternative to silver iodide used in cloud seeding.

Both silver iodide and known bacteria-based ice-nucleating proteins are toxic in high concentrations. They cannot be used in food or biomedical applications where they may come in contact with humans. But Meister's protein is cell-free and detached from the fungus it originated in, so it can be used safely across domains.

Chemistry in the field

This discovery started, not in a chemistry lab, but with a field trip in Alaska. Meister and his team gathered samples in the icy Alaskan backcountry, looking for organisms that could lead them to novel antifreeze and ice-nucleating proteins.

"We specifically sampled different lichen and tested ice activities," Meister said. "We found one that was particularly good. Once we identified the fungi who caused it, we moved to the molecular level and luckily found the protein responsible for ice-nucleation activity."

It's difficult to imagine chemists, usually associated with bubbling beakers and lab coats, working in tough field conditions, but Meister sees it as a crucial part of his research.

"For me, it's very important to see and experience what's going on," he said. "You want to see the place where [the proteins] are actually active and how the organism survives there."

This field work also creates unique opportunities for students. "I try to take my students into the field, usually starting with smaller expeditions in Idaho, Oregon and then Alaska," Meister said.

Those trips can build up to larger expeditions to the polar regions, but they share a philosophical connection to the reasons for Meister's work. "I want them to experience [nature] because it inspired me to change my career direction and I want to seed the thought to as many people as possible that the nature of our planet is worth protecting. We have to get people interested in these places to give them a voice."

Science for the public good

Meister is not just a globally-recognized expert on ice-nucleating proteins. He is also a dedicated science communicator and educator.

In Boise State's College of Arts and Sciences, Meister co-founded and is an active part of the Boise Art and Science Hub (or BASH). This community of artists and scientists explores the intersections of art and science.

For Meister, that manifests in installations like an exhibit in the Keith and Catherine Stein Luminary in spring 2025, bringing the microscopic molecules he works to life and presenting them to a general audience.

"I tell my students: in science you've got to have a good idea, then prove it in the lab, but you also need to communicate the research to colleagues and the public. Otherwise, it has no value"

This publication was made possible by the National Science Foundation under awards numbered 2336558, 2308172 and 2116528, and by the Department of Defense through a Defense Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research award FA9550-24-1-0197

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