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

How to extract biologically active proteins from the cells and tissue of organisms using detergent based lysis method

Posted by The Protein Man on Jun 17, 2016 9:26:39 AM

Extraction of proteins from cells and tissue of organisms is the first step towards isolation of proteins. The extracellular matrix needs to be removed or digested in case of tissue, the cell wall needs to be digested for organisms like bacteria, yeast and plants, and the cell membrane needs to be disrupted to release the proteins in solution. Traditionally, physical methods for disruption of cells and tissues are employed to release cellular proteins including sonication, french press, homogenization, manual grinding or using blenders.  Although one is able to get the active proteins, these physical methods have several limitations:

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Topics: Detergents, Protein Extraction

Uncovering the Importance of Detergents in the Study of Membrane Proteins

Posted by The Protein Man on Mar 19, 2014 5:00:00 AM

Question:

What is the role of detergents in the study of membrane proteins?  

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Topics: Detergents

What Are the Detergents Commonly Used in Proteomics?

Posted by The Protein Man on Nov 12, 2013 5:00:00 AM

Question:

What Detergents Used in Proteomics?

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Topics: Detergents

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