RobWarden:M4D1

=Biomaterials Engineering Day 1, For Next Time=

Blocking Buffer Components

 * BSA: BSA is used to bind nonspecifically to residues that could accidentally bind our yeast or antibodies.


 * Tween: A detergent used to cover hydrophobic patches.

Intein Splicing
In this paper, they use fusion proteins to create peptides that would bind each other in the presence of rapamycin. These peptides had a luciferase and intein domain as well. When they associated, the intein would splice out and leave complete luciferase. This could be used to induce protein expression after the translational step. Could be useful for toxic proteins for industry.


 * From:EC Schwartz, L Saez, MW Young, TW Muir. Post-translational enzyme activation in an animal via optimized conditional protein splicing. Nature Chemical Biology 2006; 3(1) 50.

Differentiation
These people screened chemicals to make neuronal stem cells differentiate. What if you could make yeast cells differentiate into different displays? Then you could have one master strain and induce differentiation to make it bind a different material under a general promoter, no special food required.


 * From: Phedias Diamandis et al. Chemical genetics reveals a complex functional ground state of neural stem cells. Nature Chemical Biology 2007; 3(5) 268.

Degradation
This study is how proteins are targeted for degradation. They are recognized by an unfoldase. What if you found an unfoldase that could target a critical disease protein (ex. HIV protease) and take it to a proteosome.


 * From: Tania A. Baker and Robert T. Sauer. ATP-dependent proteases of bacteria: recognition logic and operating principles. TRENDS in Biochemical Sciences 2006; 31 (12) 647.

Senescence
This group found a way to reverse the senescence process. Could it be made automatic?


 * From: Jaejoon Won et al. Small molecule–based reversible reprogramming of cellular lifespan. Nature Chemical Biology 2006; 2(7) 369.

Replication
So this was just really cool. The group studied replication on a ONE MOLECULE basis. I'm not really sure you could build off of it, but just throwing it out there.


 * From: Jong-Bong Lee et al. DNA primase acts as a molecular brake in DNA replication. Nature 2006; 439 621.