Smokers show fewer symptoms or appear less affected by certain toxins

Some smokers show fewer symptoms or appear less affected by certain toxins — arsenic included — at doses that harm nonsmokers. This isn’t protection in the traditional sense. It’s more…

The age-old debate between hard rock and heavy metal

In ancient Egypt, flint was the very essence of divinity. Imagine the god Thoth, with his ibis head and scribe’s palette, his heart not of flesh and blood, but of…

Flint Knappers: The tech giants of the Stone Age

Picture, if you will, a time when smartphones were but a twinkle in the eye of evolution, and the height of technology was a pointy stick. Enter the flint knapper,…

  • Flint
  • February 24, 2025
Chuckmuck: The Fanny Pack of the Silk Road

Picture this: It’s the 17th century, and you’re a traveler on the ancient trade routes stretching from the snow-capped Himalayas to the bustling ports of Japan. Hanging from your belt…

  • Iron
  • September 20, 2024
HFE H63D & VO2 max

SMOKE EM IF YOU GOT EM The HFE H63D is a single-nucleotide polymorphism in the HFE gene (c.187C>G, rs1799945), which results in the substitution of a histidine for an aspartic acid at amino acid position 63…

  • Iron
  • September 19, 2024
Transferrin binding and PH

Transferrin binding to transferrin receptors reduces its affinity for iron. Two pathways can occur once endocytosed–degradation or recycling pathways. The degradation pathway is where the dissociation of ferric ions from transferrin…

Thermolysin – The Tiny Terminator of Plasma Proteins!

Both thermolysin and snake venom metalloproteinases (SVMPs) share a similar mechanism of action, utilizing zinc ions to hydrolyze peptide bonds in proteins

Arsenic: The Element of Surprise (and Murder)

Let’s dive into the sordid history of arsenic, the “King of Poisons” and the “Poison of Kings.” Our story begins in ancient times, when alchemists were busy trying to turn…

Adamalysin II, the protein world’s very own Eastern diamondback rattlesnake superstar

Adamalysin II, alias proteinase II, a 24 kDa zinc-endopeptidase isolated from the snake venom of the Eastern diamondback rattlesnake Crotalus adamanteus, is a prototype, of the proteolytic domain of snake venom metalloproteinases and of domains found in mammalian reproductive tract proteins.

DMT1 aka DCT1 and NRAMP2

Natural resistance-associated macrophage protein 2 (NRAMP 2), also known as divalent metal transporter 1 (DMT1) and divalent cation transporter 1 (DCT1), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the SLC11A2 (solute carrier family 11, member 2) gene. DMT1 represents a…

Bovine serum albumin (Fraction V)

Bovine serum albumin (BSA or “Fraction V”) is a serum albumin protein derived from cows. It is often used as a protein concentration standard in lab experiments. The nickname “Fraction V” refers to albumin being…

Ovotransferrin aka conalbumin

Ovotransferrin (conalbumin) is a glycoprotein of egg white albumen. Egg white albumen is composed of multiple proteins, of which ovotransferrin is the most heat reliable. It has a molecular weight of 76,000 daltons and contains about 700 amino acids.…