Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

i am not sure if this is the right place to post this question, but since it is about proteins then here i go... about proteomics: the IEF dimension is performed using 7 cm or 18 cm IPG strips of selected pH range (3-10, 4-7, 3-6, 5-8, 7-10, 6-9, 3-7, 6-11, 3.5-4.5, 4-5, 4.5- 5.5, 5- 6, 5.5- 6.7). my question is what decides the selection of a specified pH range? i have looked for answers, but can't find any. it would help alot if anyone can tell me. thanks! wait for replies!!!!

does anyone know of any fungucide that I could use, to combat Fusarium Head Blight on my wheat? it has to be bio friendly!!! I considered using a copper sulphate spray as that`s often used for seedling to prevent "damping off" and other fungal nasties. can anyone improve on that at all? I`de also like some kind of powder that I can dust next years seeds with, so that they`ll store well and get a good head start. Cheers

Hi Everyone. (I do have questions, but want to give you my background info first.) I am planning on doing an experiment to make one species of bacteria into another. I plan to: Take E. coli bacteria and extract all of their DNA; their entire genome. Then, I will take another species of bacteria (strep) and remove ALL DNA from them. I shall next take the E. coli DNA and force it into the strep. I want to see if the strep cells will indeed turn into the E. coli bacteria. None of this is finalized. The bacteria species and types may vary if it is easier to do this experiment. The DNA may be cut with enzymes, or whatever, as long as it goes into the 2nd bac…

I would prefer this to be answered by a bio-chemist or chemist as I am interested in the Chemistry not the biology. Firstly what are teeth made from? (plz refrain from saing 'calcium' and 'collagen', I dont know about you, bu My teeth are niether silver or slightly more reactive than magnesium). Secondly Im pretty sure that tooth decay is due to the acidic output of bacterium living on the sugar in your mouth. If so what are these bacterium and is it lactic acid they produce?

Dear readers: What are some economic benefits (or non-benefits) of genetic engineering? How about social implications to genetic engineering?

Hi everyone, Just wondered what views you all have on silicon-based life forms. Im in the middle fo writing an article and im looking for as much info as I can get. For example, are silicon-based life forms (where silicon atoms replace all carbons atoms in all organic molecules) theoretically viable. Understandably they would be much larger, but would there be any other implications. What would be their potential for growth and evolution, feeding, reproduction, parasitism etc... Would love to hear all opinions...

I am currently undertaking some research into public thoughts on therapeutic cloning and stem cell research for my MSc. I would be grateful to you if you would spare a few minutes and respond to my online questionnaire about the subject. All information you provide is confidential and non-identifable. The link is: http://www.urbansea.com/s802/ and will be available for a couple of weeks from the date of this message. If you have any specific comments, either relating to the questions or your views on therapeutic stem cell research then please email them to me, at: scmail @ excite.com (removing spaces used to reduce spam). Many thanks, Steven

Hello everyone! I'm a student at Glendale Community College, majoring in bioengineering. I plan to transfer either to UCLA or UCB. I'm looking for a lab internship, and since I've never done that before, and have started wondering into the field not so long ago, I would appreciate very much if someone answered my questions. My first question is the following. Applications for lab internship usually ask a question like: what is it that you specifically expect to develop through this internship? What skills and/or techniques? Honestly, I don't know much about these. I know for sure that I can probe into tissue cultures and artificial cultivation of microorganisms..…

What are the elements and molocules in a Ribosome? I've looked all over the web and can't find it! Aggh!

Galvanism is using electricty to bring something... well someone to life? this is how in the book frankenstein [the green monster with a bolt through his neck!!!]... thats how the monster comes to life! in other experiments, by making a current through a dead body [this experiment was through a dead frog] it twiches.... and in the book... the 'maker' said how the right current in the right places were needed. then twitch would become life! its kinda hard to explain, but you know in a hospital when someones heart stops, they get an electric shock and 'jump' up, its the same theory.... {i hope you know what im talking about!!} is galvanism possible? it was a…

Hey Guys I have recently come across the term "Designer Genomes " Please tell me what they are and what all possibilities can exist to design from them ?? Is there a threat or evidence of some traits that cud be introduced in this process,once we get info from Human genome project? please tell me asap!!

does caffeine cause hunger? i've noticed that everytime i consume a great amount of caffeine that an almost insatiable hunger, even if i have just eaten a large meal. is it just me? is this a normal effect?

I have been using a method to calculate the activity of glucose-6-phosohate dehydrogenase. I ran into a problem because my final activities are very low compared to results previously obtained. I think I'm just doing the calculations wrong. In a nutshell, I make up reactions in cuvettes and I measure the rates and I have to subtract certain rates from other rates. Then I'm supposed to use the "net optical density" from my subtracted rates. How do I do calculate net optical density from a rate?

ive been reading about all sorts of mutation, from radioactivity, and other stuff, but i was wondering, is it possible to have a mutation which is good? i mean, not to sound babyish, but like a superhero, they all had mutations, that ended up them saving the world!!! dont get me wrong, i dont want to mutate myself and get super powers or anything... but is it possible for humans to force some kind of mutation upon themselves which would benefit them? i dont mean like replacing cancer cells with healthy cells, but more like a mutation which would differ you from other humans, but in a good way? is it possible? why hasnt it ever been done before? or has it been tri…

Hello, I want to know the GC mole % for the genomic DNA of a bacteria strain, but don't have the appropriate apparatus. Do anyone know any company or university that provide such service?

Anybody think they can give me an explanation of the structure and function of the ionotropic glutamate receptors? I understand the basic principals of the flux in calcium ions, spurring a realease of glutamate, which interact with the receptor proteins. But where exactly do the ionotropic glutamate receptors stand in this, are they simply one type of receptor protein? And if so, does anybody know what the primary, secondary, tertiary, and quarternery structures of these proteins are, and how they affect this whole process? A term that I have come across is ligand gated ion channels. What are these? Thanks in advance, and possibly this thread should be under the n…

I recently started working out and I remembered something from my biochemistry class. Cafeine activates a diesterase which turn cAMP into AMP making the body 'burn' it's glycogen. In order to get rid of fat better, would it be a good idea to drink some cafeine drink before you work out? And if so, how much cafeine would you need to consume and how long would it take before you could start working out? The thing is, i've got some love handles I want to take care of but if all i'm burning in the first 15 minutes of a workout is sugar couldn't I just burn that all away before starting my workout? BTW, is cafeine addictive in a physical way or a mental way? I …

1. What are the differences,in detail please, between analitical electrophoresis and preparative electrophoresis 2. What are the prons and cons in the usage of amonium sulphate, alcohol and acetone during the precipitation.

Hi, have some doubts about antifreeze proteins cos i just learnt about them, so am a beginner here. Firstly, are there any other froms of antifreeze proteins, say creating a artificial, "fake" antifreeze proteins? Then how do these antifreeze proteins actually help to retard or stop the forming of ice? Thank you!

What protein quantification methods can be employed with enzimes? What are the basis and methodologies to be used for each case?(Please explain it to me as much as possible)

What are the main features of the biomembrane functions?

Hi, I'd like some explanations of what the primary, secondary, and tertiary structures of proteins, protein purification, and basic protein spectroscopy are. I've taken only 2 quarters of inorganic chemistry. Most of my work has been in stoichiometry. Anybody think they can give me an explanation of these things?

Is altering the human genome possible? If it is, has the government kept it a secret from us? Is it already a perfected technology? Basically, its possible to a certain limit while in the early stages of human embryo growth. however, is it possible to alter the dna structure of a fully grown man and/or woman? This is something that not even I can prove using simple logic. I mean, I don't think its possible. Maybe in the womb, or either during or right after fertilization...but still, this is a very broad topic, which very few people have answers to. Personally, I wish I had the answer. . But putting my original inquiry aside, let us go back to altering the hu…

Here is a nice little article I thought you might enjoy. Get the ingredients and you can even try it at home (YT2095 will love this one no doubt) http://www.nature.com/nsu/040426/040426-5.html

I was going to post this on the thread below this one in the Biochemistry section, but I thought I'd make a new thread for it, since it's (I believe) a different approach. I'm planning on writing something big, a science fiction novel based in the future where a few alien races have been discovered (the storyline doesn't matter). One of the races is supposed to be silicon-based. Since I know this is a problem - some scientists go so far as to say silicon-based life itself is impossible - I have to fully consider the biology making them possible. Since this is fiction, I can invent whatever conditions I want, so long as they could possibly exist. Anyway, here's what I'…