Arginine, basic vs. acidic amino acids
Arguing about arginine? And what “basicity” means? Today I want to introduce you to the last of the “basic” amino […]
Histidine, immobilized metal affinity chromatography
Today I His-tagged my His-smas tree… HISTIDINE (His, H) may be an amino *acid* but it can also be a […]
Lysine, Schiff bases
Move over Kelloggs, this “K” is way more special than your cereal! Why? For one, the amino acid (protein letter) […]
Cysteine – disulfide bonds, reducing agents, perms
The Sistine Chapel wasn’t built in a day, but thanks to the amino acid cysteine (Cys, C) your hair can be […]
Proline – hydrogen bonding, bond angles, collagen
What’s a side chain that’s curvy gotta do with scurvy? Proline isn’t *pro*-lines & it’s definitely *anti* α-helix! But it’s […]
Tryptophan, serotonin, melatonin, spectroscopy, etc.
What’s Tweety bird’s fave amino acid? tWiptophan! Tryptophan (Trp) is abbreviated W & you can remember this by saying it […]
Isoleucine, Maple Syrup Urine Disease
Who doesn’t love the smell of maple syrup? Doctors who smell it coming from diapers! Don’t know what I’m talking […]
Leucine, ketogenic amino acids
No losers here – just LEUCINE! Lighten up! But stay lucid! today I’m elucidating the amino acid Leucine (Leu, L) […]
Valine, branched-chain amino acid breakdown
I know it’s not tis *that* season, but would you be my Valine-tine? Today in #20DaysOfAminoAcids, another protein letter to […]
Glycine and early protein chemistry research
Today I’m kicking off the 2020 bumbling biochemist’s version of an advent calendar – #20DaysOfAminoAcids – with the “opening up” […]
