User talk:Andy Maloney/Notebook/Lab Notebook of Andy Maloney/2009/04/20/Microtubule paper review

Steve Koch 23:31, 20 April 2009 (EDT): I haven't read the paper you're reading (at least not recently), and I also put a comment on your other talk page about casein. I think we came to similar conclusions. I have not seen proof that the casein used in these assays still has calcium, that's just a worry of mine. I also don't know for sure that that's what the EGTA is used for. It appears that the assay you're talking about is with MTs on the glass. Casein is also used in the gliding motility assay, when the kinesin is immobilized on the glass. I love your ideas about trying to make the system more pure or at least something we understand. I'd bet that many other strategies would work. But, as you say, casein right now works at least enough to get stuff done. Whereas a ton of time could be spent trying to make another system will all new problems. At the least, we'd want to make sure we understood the surface preparation methods that all the other groups are using. There are some really good surface chemistry groups out there doing things, but I'm not up on it.