— We often think of proteins as nutrients in the food we eat or the main component of muscles, but proteins are also microscopic molecules inside of cells that perform diverse and vital jobs. With the Human Genome Project complete, scientists are turning their attention to the human “proteome,” the catalog of all human proteins. This work has shown that the world of proteins is a fascinating one, full of molecules with such intricate shapes and precise functions that they seem almost fanciful… Continue reading Protein Folding: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

I had stored about ten pounds of used lab materials over a period of 8 months, waiting to hear from authorities here at Scripps Institute of Oceanography at San Diego, on ways to recycle the waste. All were different types of plastics. I was informed yesterday that San Diego County does not have a facility to recycle lab materials made of plastic. I had to … Continue reading Waste that matters: Plastics in the Pacific Ocean — A growing cause for concern