The Protein Man's Blog | A Discussion of Protein Research

Detergents: Ionic, Non-Ionic, and Zwitterionic. What's the Difference?

Posted by The Protein Man on Feb 8, 2017 2:05:00 PM

There is a plethora of uses for detergents, both in the lab and in everyday life. The usefulness of these cleaning compounds comes from subtle differences in their chemical structure. Detergents are composed of amphipathic molecules, containing a polar hydrophilic head group attached to a long-chain hydrophobic carbon tail. The composition and charge of the molecules’ head and tail groups determines the mechanism by which these molecules will act as detergents. Because of this, different types of detergents are useful for a variety of purposes. 

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Topics: Detergents

Buffer Solution Preparation: An Essential Skill for Researchers

Posted by Ellyn Daugherty on Feb 3, 2017 12:02:38 PM

Many high school and college students realize that having research experience in an academic or industry lab has many benefits. Many search for paid or unpaid internships, part-time employment or propose a research project in their instructor’s lab, working independently, applying what they already know and building expertise in experimental design, instrumentation, and data analysis.

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Topics: Teaching Biotechnology

Plant vs Animal Cells: Break the Cell Wall with Lytic Enzymes

Posted by The Protein Man on Jan 31, 2017 9:53:22 AM

Extracting proteins from plants is not the same as extracting proteins from animal sources. There is a very different set of factors that you will need to consider in order to properly process plant proteins. This post explores some of the key ways in which plant-based protein extraction differs from animal-based protein extraction, and details some of the ways you can overcome these differences.

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Topics: Protein Extraction

Western blot: Constant current or constant voltage; which is best?

Posted by The Protein Man on Jan 20, 2017 12:27:53 PM

The choice of constant current or constant voltage will depend on several different factors that must be taken into consideration for each Western transfer test. The level of heat, duration of the test, type of proteins, the size of the transfer, and the rate of transfer will all be affected by power, voltage, and current being used to drive the test. Each factor will play a role in how well the proteins transfer and the ultimate accuracy of the test.

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Topics: Western Blotting

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