Got old CDs? Looking for uses for them? Have you thought about immobilizing biomolecules in their microgrooves? “Old compact discs (CDs) have been found to be useful for modern chemical research. Their metal reflective film is suitable for the preparation of high-quality self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and for electrochemical analysis; pre-grooved polycarbonate base is ideal for […]
Tag: biochemistry
The biochemistry of love: an interview with Ig winner Donatella Marazziti
The Faculty of 1000 blog interviews Ig Nobel Prize winner Donatella Marazitti: The biochemistry of love: an interview with Donatella Marazziti By Samuel Winthrop 21 May 2014 Donatella Marazziti is a professor of psychiatry and the director of the psychopharmacology laboratory at the Department of Psychiatry, Neurobiology, Pharmacology and Biotechnology at the University of Pisa. She […]
Kevin, the singing biochemistry instructor: Gluconeogenesis
Dr. Kevin Ahern is a Senior Instructor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University, US. Dr. Ahern Kevin has created a selection of “Wildly Popular Metabolic Melodies, Verses and Mildly Popular Limericks” Here is an example : a melody entitled ‘Gluconeogenesis’ Also see : Ahern, Kevin. “Song: I’m a Little Mitochondrion […]
Bacteriology: ox ox ox ROO or a Sor Rub?
Investigator Michael Strack sends word about some words: For readers who consider biochemistry a dry discipline, the article “Rubredoxin: Oxygen Oxidoreductase Enhances Survival of Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough under Microaerophilic Conditions” provides some contrary evidence, as authors Wildschut et al. provide notable diversity and combinations of memorable abbreviations. The action is condensed into the very first […]
FucU (Fucose, Unknown)
an evolutionarily conserved protein FucU (Fucose, Unknown) is a close paralogue of RbsD, with any compared pair of RbsD and FucU homologues sharing about 20% amino acid sequence identity with each other. —so says the study “Crystal Structures of RbsD Leading to the Identification of Cytoplasmic Sugar-binding Proteins with a Novel Folding Architecture,” Min-Sung Kim, […]
Akiskal and the mystery of love
The Mystery of Love Solved Love and biology are deeply entwined. Love can make a heart race and a lack of chemistry can turn romance into friendship. But just what is the nature of this link? Can biochemistry cause love? Dr. Hagop Akiskal won the Ig-Nobel prize in Chemistry for trying to answer this very […]