The Humpty Dumpty Dilemma

Chemical Biologist Neil Kelleher: Measuring Proteins

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Neil Kelleher Weighs in on Proteins

Chemical biologist Kelleher wants to find better ways to measure proteins.

Proteins

• Are central to life

• Begin as genetic instructions

• Can gain or lose mass

Question:

What is the unit of mass used to measure proteins?

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Answer: Dalton

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Gene-to-Protein Process

• Some genes code for protein-making

• Protein folds into exactly the right shape to do its jobs properly

• There are more proteins than genes that code for them

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The Humpty Dumpty Method

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The Humpty Dumpty Method
(continued)

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Kelleher's Top Down Method

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A Challenging Course

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Chemistry: A German Revolution

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Developments Resulting From Organic Chemistry

One result of organic chemistry: synthetic dyes used to color fabrics and other textiles

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Research Applications

In what ways might Kelleher's method be used to explore questions about health and disease?