Category Archives: 2017 posts

Hemocyanin PDB ID: 1NOL Blue Blood? That a Hemo-SIGN-anin that you have Hemocyanin in your blood! Hemocyanin is a protein that is found in molluscs, such as snails, octopi, and crabs, and it carries oxygen just as hemoglobin does in … Continue reading →

Here are some photos from the development of the Hemagglutinin model

1918 Influenza Hemagglutinin PDB ID: 1RUZ Raha Kannan   Hemagglutinin, a trimeric transmembrane protein found on viral membranes, helps viruses enter and release their viral RNA into cells. The outer portion of the protein targets sialic acid chains (present on … Continue reading →

Human Ceruloplasmin PDB ID: 4ENZ Karissa Renyer Ceruloplasmin is the main copper-carrying protein in the blood. However, it also is a ‘moonlighting’ protein, performing various other functions outside of its typical role with copper. For example, it also acts as … Continue reading →

Couldn’t get a molded plastic form to have enough freedom to move so I went with wood, metal, and plastic. I also modified a mechanical cart to help it walk.

I was able to use a blue patina today on my ceruloplasmin protein pendant. Here is a before and after picture showing the transformation brought forth from the patina! I ended up sanding off the patina on the raised copper … Continue reading →

Thanks to all who pitched in with some important 10th week committee work: Show tables committee.  We have tables! Our show ballot committee.  Clever categories! Our show poster committee.  Splendid artistic view of a Nobel prize winning ion channel structure discovered by Rod MacKinnon . The artist … Continue reading →

This weekend I build the wireframe for my protein project (see left). It looks much better in person than in the picture, but still needs some added volume around the wires to give it more form. I plan to do … Continue reading →

Raha is just back from visiting the Art of Brick exhibition at OMSI (in Portland).  Check it out!

The widely used pymol is available here. Highly recommended for adjusting your view as you work on your protein portraits projects.

The Protein: Hemagglutinin (HA), a protein involved in the viral infection process. Specifically, HA helps cells internalize the virus and eventually the viral RNA. Structure: Hemagglutinin is a trimeric transmembrane protein that extends from the surface of viruses. There are two types of … Continue reading →

This was news a few months ago but the Weihong Qiu lab in the Physics/Biophysics lab observed and reported that kinesin can walk backwards. It was previously thought that kinesin could only walk forward, in fact the Hoogenraad Lab video … Continue reading →

Let me introduce Erythrocruorin, giant hemoglobin made from earthworms. This hemoglobin is HUGE, it is comprised of 144 globin chains and its skeleton is comprised of 12 globin chains. Each of these chains can carry oxygen and with its 3-fold … Continue reading →

TMV is the first virus to be discovered and is found to be mostly made of protein. It is supposed to be very stable and can survive for years within a cigar or cigarette. TMV’s helical shape kind of reminds … Continue reading →

Actinomycin, discovered in Streptomyces antibioticus in 1940, is the first natural antibiotic that has anti-cancer activity. Unfortunately, actinomycin does not specifically kill cancer cells, so it too toxic for general use. This molecule works by intercalating into the DNA double … Continue reading →

Proteasomes break down other proteins. They help keep the cell free of damaged proteins as well as allowing the cell to  recycle parts of proteins that it no longer uses. In this image, the yellow and red core is where … Continue reading →

This is the P-Glycoprotein found in many cells of the human body. It’s role is to search for toxic molecules and eject them from the cell to be disposed. Using ATP, the P-Glycoprotein targets mostly hydrophobic toxic molecules in its … Continue reading →

Sodium-potassium pumps create and maintain electrochemical gradients, pumping potassium ions into the cell and sodium ions out of the cell. The established gradient is a crucial part of sending electrical nerve signals and regulating the osmotic pressure in cells. When the … Continue reading →

Aquaporin creates a channel for water molecules to pass through a membrane, so this molecules pops up when talking about osmosis. Aquaporin can be found in many organisms, from bacteria to eukaryotes and is made up of 4 identical chains.  The molecule … Continue reading →

This week please post a protein example from the Molecule of the Month and include an idea of how the dynamics of that protein could be conveyed artistically! Here’s a quick rundown of the artwork we looked at on Tuesday … Continue reading →