#BioChemistry

[reasonsforhope]

"A team of researchers at Washington University in St. Louis has developed a real-time air monitor that can detect any of the SARS-CoV-2 virus variants that are present in a room in about 5 minutes.

The proof-of-concept device was created by researchers from the McKelvey School of Engineering and the School of Medicine at Washington University...

The results are contained in a July 10 publication in Nature Communications that provides details about how the technology works.

The device holds promise as a breakthrough that - when commercially available - could be used in hospitals and health care facilities, schools, congregate living quarters, and other public places to help detect not only the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but other respiratory virus aerosol such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) as well.

“There is nothing at the moment that tells us how safe a room is,” Cirrito said, in the university’s news release. “If you are in a room with 100 people, you don’t want to find out five days later whether you could be sick or not. The idea with this device is that you can know essentially in real time, or every 5 minutes, if there is a live virus in the air.”

How It Works

The team combined expertise in biosensing with knowhow in designing instruments that measure the toxicity of air. The resulting device is an air sampler that operates based on what’s called “wet cyclone technology.” Air is sucked into the sampler at very high speeds and is then mixed centrifugally with a fluid containing a nanobody that recognizes the spike protein from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. That fluid, which lines the walls of the sampler, creates a surface vortex that traps the virus aerosols. The wet cyclone sampler has a pump that collects the fluid and sends it to the biosensor for detection of the virus using electrochemistry.

The success of the instrument is linked to the extremely high velocity it generates - the monitor has a flow rate of about 1,000 liters per minute - allowing it to sample a much larger volume of air over a 5-minute collection period than what is possible with currently available commercial samplers. It’s also compact - about one foot wide and 10 inches tall - and lights up when a virus is detected, alerting users to increase airflow or circulation in the room.

Testing the Monitor

To test the monitor, the team placed it in the apartments of two Covid-positive patients. The real-time air samples from the bedrooms were then compared with air samples collected from a virus-free control room. The device detected the RNA of the virus in the air samples from the bedrooms but did not detect any in the control air samples.

In laboratory experiments that aerosolized SARS-CoV-2 into a room-sized chamber, the wet cyclone and biosensor were able to detect varying levels of airborne virus concentrations after only a few minutes of sampling, according to the study.

“We are starting with SARS-CoV-2, but there are plans to also measure influenza, RSV, rhinovirus and other top pathogens that routinely infect people,” Cirrito said. “In a hospital setting, the monitor could be used to measure for staph or strep, which cause all kinds of complications for patients. This could really have a major impact on people’s health.”

The Washington University team is now working to commercialize the air quality monitor."

-via Forbes, July 11, 2023

-

Holy shit. I know it's still early in the technology and more testing will inevitably be needed but holy shit.

Literally, if it bears out, this could revolutionize medicine. And maybe let immunocompromised people fucking go places again

Also, for those who don't know, Nature Communications is a very prestigious scientific journal that focuses on Pretty Big Deal research. Their review process is incredibly rigorous. This is an absolutely HUGE credibility boost to this research and prototype

[beakers-and-telescopes]

OKAY THIS ARTICLE IS SO COOL

I'm going to try to explain this in a comprehensible way, because honestly it's wild to wrap your head around even for me, who has a degree in chemistry. But bear with me.

Okay, so. Solids, right? They are rigid enough to hold their shape, but aside from that they are quite variable. Some solids are hard, others are soft, some are brittle or rubbery or malleable. So what determines these qualities? And what creates the rigid structure that makes a solid a solid? Most people would tell you that it depends on the atoms that make up the solid, and the bonds between those atoms. Rubber is flexible because of the polymers it's made of, steel is strong because of the metallic bonds between its atoms. And this applies to all solids. Or so everybody thought.

A paper published in the journal Nature has discovered that biological materials such as wood, fungi, cotton, hair, and anything else that can respond to the humidity in the environment may be composed of a new class of matter dubbed "hydration solids". That's because the rigidity and solidness of the materials doesn't actually come from the atoms and bonds, but from the water molecules hanging out in between.

So basically, try to imagine a hydration solid as a bunch of balloons taped together to form a giant cube, with the actual balloon part representing the atoms and bonds of the material, and the air filling the balloons as the water in the pores of the solid. What makes this "solid" cube shaped? It's not because of the rubber at all, but the air inside. If you took out all the air from inside the balloons, the structure wouldn't be able to hold its shape.

Ozger Sahin, one of the paper's authors, said

"When we take a walk in the woods, we think of the trees and plants around us as typical solids. This research shows that we should really think of those trees and plants as towers of water holding sugars and proteins in place. It's really water's world."

And the great thing about this discovery (and one of the reasons to support its validity) is that thinking about hydration solids this way makes the math so so so much easier. Before this, if you wanted to calculate how water interacts with organic matter, you would need advanced computer simulations. Now, there are simple equations that you can do in your head. Being able to calculate a material's properties using basic physics principles is a really big deal, because so far we have only been able to do that with gasses (PV=nRT anyone?). Expanding that to a group that encompasses 50-90% of the biological world around us is huge.

[thelailasblog]

[graniteslab]

Scientists are profoundly unserious

[nihilistem]

adhd study affirmations + tips to stray from discouragement by a stem student with adhd.

you’re not always going to be consistent. you’re not always going to be motivated. you’re not always going to be efficient. and that is okay.

edit : thank you so much to whoever blazed this post. It means the world to me.

and the fact that you even got this far is an accomplishment in and of itself. In this line of work, people aren’t always the kindest to neurodivergent people especially since our symptoms can often hinder our performance academically.

if you’re good to go after reading the above, I’ve also made a post regarding adhd study tips that I haven’t seen anywhere else. (Part 2 is here!) But, if you’re burned out like me, feel free to keep reading.

honestly, these might serve a bit more as reminders because they’re kinda simple but even I needed this, so, here we go.

do not seek advice from anyone neurotypical unless it genuinely helps you. I cannot tell you the amount of time and tears I could have saved if I just considered the fact that just because popular self-improvement tips or study techniques didn’t work for me, it doesn’t mean I’m stupid or useless. It simply means our brains isn’t motivated by the same things neurotypical ones are, and therefore a lot of popular self-improvement videos or study tips aren’t going to work for you because 90% of the time, they’re not designed to work for neurodivergent people. So if you’d like to seek help in this area, look for tips and videos that ARE for neurodivergent people.

you might experience burnout a lot more than others. again, that is fine. if this doesn’t apply to you, great! Feel free to skip to the next tip/affirmation. If this does apply to you, read this carefully; if you’ve had any sort of streak in studying right now, chances are you know at least a portion of your studies were led purely on interest, curiosity or even novelty, as these are what keep us engaged in our studies. Knowing this, it is natural for you to experience burnout more frequently than others due to the possible hyperfixations that have been forming around your work. If you get burned out, please remember to take a break for a day and make sure it is efficient. Like your studies, your breaks are the key to having efficient study sessions in the future. So please treat yourself, especially if you’ve been working extra hard!

do not admire studious fictional characters unless it genuinely helps you or they too are neurodivergent. I know this technically could have been thrown in with tip number 1 but I felt like this tip alone is so important, because nowadays I see a lot of study tips with the title, ‘how to study like (insert studious fictional character here)’ and when I look at the post it kinda repeats the same few study tips I see all the time like ‘stay organized’ or ‘time block your day’ and I feel like admiring fictional characters who do things that don’t work for you can be damaging for your mental health, because we’re already told by neurotypical people all around us that we’re slow or lazy just because we don’t do things the way they do, and I think idolizing neurotypical people that make us feel bad at the end of the day just further promotes that kind of toxic thinking.

expect that a routine/schedule/technique that has been working for a while now may not continue to work in the future. things will always have to be new for us to be interested or engaged, that being said, if you expect this in the future you won’t be frustrated with yourself because you already had this in mind. It doesn’t mean you’re not smart. It doesn’t mean you’re lazy. It doesn’t mean you’re useless. It just means that you’ve done what you could, and now it’s time to move on to another routine/schedule/technique.

keep doing the things you love alongside work. I find that because our symptoms may cause us to fall behind on our studies, we tend to neglect our other needs as human beings just to make up for the fact that we simply do not learn or pick things up the same way neurotypical people do. Your hobbies and interests need to be part of your day, just as your studies do, even if you may take longer to learn things or remember important concepts in your studies. Neglecting your hobbies or interests can lead to even more frequent burn outs and even a relapse in depression and anxiety, so please take care of yourself and recognize that you need and deserve these things just as much as anyone else.

regularly discover what works for you on your own. here’s the thing; neurodivergent or not, no two brains work the same. Of course it is good to try out advice or tips you find online because they’re backed up by experience, but they’re backed up by that person’s experience with working with their own brain. So naturally, you need to find what works with your brain. Be open to trying everything, even the tips that are discouraged like listening to lyrical music while studying. That was the only way I learnt that this tip actually does help me at times, even when many people have said that it negatively affects your focus.

that’s all I have right now guys, I think I’m experiencing burn out or probably falling back into depression again so more than anything this also served as a reminder for me, but I really hope it also helped you guys nonetheless.

As always, tell me if you guys would like more posts like these and I’ll be happy to make more <33 please take care of yourself guys, and remember that your studies is just one aspect of your life. There are other aspects that need your care and attention too.

[mindblowingscience]

Scientists have identified a natural compound that halts the process involved in the progression of certain forms of cancer and demyelinating conditions—those that damage the sheath, known as myelin, that surrounds neurons—such as multiple sclerosis. A study published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry found a plant-derived flavonoid—a type of chemical compound—called sulfuretin blocked the activity of an enzyme involved in MS and cancer.

Continue Reading.

[hellsite-proteins]

AlphaFold Nobel Prize!

Hey everyone :) this isn't a structure, but there is some protein news that is pretty relevant to this blog that I felt I had to share. This article gives a nice overview of AI-predicted protein structures and what sorts of things they can do for research. It's not too long, and I recommend taking a look

If you've been seeing my posts for any amount of time, I've absolutely given you a flawed view of how useful AF can be. Experimentally determining protein structures is a demanding and difficult process (I've never done it, but I've learned the overview of how x ray crystallography works, and I can only imagine how much work it would take). AI-generated structures are not going to make structural biology obsolete, but they are massively helpful in making predictions that go on to guide further research.

While in many fields (especially creative areas like art and writing) AI has significant ethical concerns, I feel like this sort of use of AI in science is an overwhelmingly positive thing. The data used to train it is publicly available, and science works by building on the work done by those before us. Furthermore, while AI may not be great at generating new ideas or copying humans, it is very good at sorting large amounts of data and using it to make predictions. It's more akin to very complicated statistics than an attempt at the Turing test, and in this case it is a valuable tool to expand the ways we can do science!

[anarchistfrogposting]

STEM degrees be like “you wanted to work on yourself and build your relationships? Hahaha no” *casts curse of 1 million pages of notes and 750 essential readings on u*

[thattransscientist]

Me at work because Halloween is coming up: 🎶Spooky, scary centrifuges will spin down your spine🎶

[callmedaleelah]

— Pinnacle [ tsukishima kei university au series ]

— you know how to ball i know aristotle ; well, that’s what taylor swift said but now you realized that tsukishima knows how to ball and knows aristotle

author’s notes : no mention of (y/n), written in second person pov, semi alternative universe, timeskip!tsukishima, college life, not proofread, english is not my first language

[ masterlist ] | [ ask daleelah go to box box 🐭 ]

Lunch had turned into a surprise outing with Yamaguchi taking the lead. He drove you and Tsukishima through the city streets, his cheerful demeanor setting a warm atmosphere inside the car. Tsukishima, sitting in the passenger seat, was quieter than usual, staring out the window as if lost in thought. But you could feel the undercurrent of something else between them, the playful tension, the inside jokes they often exchanged.

"So, Tsukki, still not going to tell me what made you smile this morning?" Yamaguchi teased as they stopped at a red light, his tone light and full of mischief.

Tsukishima barely glanced at him, adjusting his glasses with his usual air of nonchalance. "I don’t remember smiling," he replied curtly.

"Oh, come on!" Yamaguchi laughed. "You’re telling me I imagined it? You never smile at anything, so when you do, it's impossible to miss."

You couldn't help but chuckle from the back seat, watching the two banter like old friends. There was something comforting about how natural they were together—how even Tsukishima, who usually seemed so guarded, let his walls down around Yamaguchi, even if it was just a little.

“Was it something you saw on your phone?” Yamaguchi continued, pressing the issue. “Or someone?”

Tsukishima’s eyes narrowed just slightly. “Stop asking me dumb questions,” he said flatly, and you couldn’t help but smile at the way he brushed Yamaguchi off without losing his cool. It was part of his charm—his sharp, almost indifferent demeanor that only made the moments where he let his guard down feel more significant.

Yamaguchi glanced at you through the rearview mirror, his grin widening. “What do you think? Tsukki’s hiding something from me, right?”

You felt heat rise in your cheeks, caught off guard by being dragged into the conversation. “I—uh, maybe? I mean, it’s hard to tell with him…” you trailed off, not wanting to push too hard. But you couldn’t help but feel a bit flustered. Was Yamaguchi teasing him about what happened that morning? About the way Tsukishima had helped you at your dorm, bringing you the things you needed? The thought made your heart race.

Tsukishima’s gaze flicked back toward you for a brief second, but he quickly turned his attention back to the road ahead as the light changed. He seemed unfazed by the conversation, yet there was a tightness in his posture that you couldn’t ignore.

You finally arrived at the sushi restaurant, the scent of fresh seafood and rice filling the air as you stepped inside. Yamaguchi had picked a spot that was bustling with energy—a small, cozy place filled with locals, its reputation evident from the crowd waiting for tables. You appreciated the atmosphere right away; it felt like the kind of place where you could relax and enjoy a good meal without worrying about anything else.

Yamaguchi led the way, making sure you and Tsukishima followed closely. “My dad told me about this place,” he said, grinning as he glanced over his shoulder. “He’s friends with the owner, so I figured we’d give it a try.”

You nodded, feeling more at ease with every step. Yamaguchi’s enthusiasm was infectious, and you found yourself looking forward to the meal more than you expected.

When you were finally seated at a small table near the back of the restaurant, Yamaguchi pulled out a chair for you with a grin. “Ladies first,” he said, his voice teasing yet polite.

Your cheeks flushed at the gesture, but you sat down with a shy smile, thanking him quietly. Tsukishima, on the other hand, seemed indifferent to the whole thing, simply taking his seat across from you without a word.

The menus were passed around, and soon enough, the table was filled with a variety of sushi dishes—beautifully arranged rolls and slices of fresh fish, each plate more enticing than the last. Yamaguchi, ever the social butterfly, immediately started offering pieces of his sushi to everyone.

“Here, you’ve got to try this one,” he said, sliding a plate toward you with an encouraging smile. “It’s amazing.”

You hesitated for a moment but quickly joined in, offering a piece of your own sushi in return. Tsukishima, surprisingly, followed suit, though with less enthusiasm. He simply pushed a plate toward you with a quiet, “Try it.”

You couldn’t help but feel a flutter in your chest at the gesture. It was such a small thing, but the fact that he was participating at all felt significant. You took a piece of his sushi and offered him one of yours in return, your fingers brushing slightly as you passed the food between you.

“It’s good,” Tsukishima said after a few bites, his tone casual but genuine. It wasn’t much, but coming from him, it felt like a compliment.

Yamaguchi, on the other hand, was full of praise for everything—he complimented the food, the restaurant, even your outfit. “That’s a cute set,” he said, gesturing to your clothes with a grin. “White really suits you.”

You ducked your head, feeling your cheeks heat up again. “Thanks,” you mumbled, trying to play it off, but you couldn’t help but notice the way Tsukishima’s gaze lingered on you for a moment longer than usual. He didn’t say anything, but there was a softness in his eyes that hadn’t been there before.

As the meal went on, the three of you continued to share food, exchanging bites of sushi like old friends. It felt intimate in a way that surprised you—like a subtle bonding experience that brought you all closer together. Yamaguchi kept the conversation light and fun, making you laugh with his playful comments and compliments.

At one point, he leaned in closer, smiling at you with that charming grin of his. “What perfume are you wearing? It smells so nice—very fresh.”

You blushed, feeling a little shy but flattered nonetheless. “Oh, it’s nothing special,” you replied, glancing at Tsukishima, who was watching the interaction with an unreadable expression. “Just something light.”

Yamaguchi nodded appreciatively, sniffing the air playfully. “Well, whatever it is, it suits you.”

Tsukishima shifted slightly in his seat, his eyes flickering between you and Yamaguchi. You couldn’t quite tell what he was thinking, but there was something there—something almost protective in the way he watched you. It was subtle, barely noticeable, but it made your heart skip a beat.

Yamaguchi continued, playfully. “And these earrings,” he pointed out with a grin, “they really complement your eyes and face.”

You felt your cheeks heat up further, and though you mumbled another thank you, you couldn’t help but steal glances at Tsukishima. Every time Yamaguchi paid you a compliment, Tsukishima seemed to subtly react—his hand adjusting his glasses, his gaze flickering over to you briefly, and that small hint of a smile. It was enough to make your heart race.

As the meal continued, you found yourself relaxing, enjoying the camaraderie. Yamaguchi was the glue, keeping the conversation light and fun, while Tsukishima contributed in his quiet, sarcastic way. The three of you exchanged bites of sushi like old friends, and for a brief moment, it felt like you’d known them forever.

Once you finished eating, Tsukishima excused himself to the restroom. While he was gone, you pulled out a small tube of hand cream from your bag, offering it to Yamaguchi, who had been complaining about dry hands. He took it gratefully, rubbing some onto his palms.

“This smells amazing,” Yamaguchi said, sniffing his hands with a wide smile. “So subtle and fresh.”

You smiled, feeling a bit proud of your choice. As you helped him apply it properly, Tsukishima returned from the restroom and saw the interaction from afar. His steps faltered just slightly, curiosity tugging at him, though he kept his usual calm composure. Still, there was a tinge of something else—a subtle twist of emotion—as he watched you help Yamaguchi.

When he approached the table, Yamaguchi was quick to show off. “Hey, Tsukki, smell this! It’s really nice, right? I think you’d like it too. You’re always complaining about your calloused hands after volleyball practice.”

Tsukishima raised an eyebrow and glanced at you, seeing the tube of hand cream still in your hand. You offered it to him, your voice a little shy, “You can try it if you want.”

He hesitated for a moment, then held out his hand. You squeezed a small amount onto his palm, and as you helped him rub it in just like you did with Yamaguchi, your fingers brushed against his skin. The contact was brief, but it sent a wave of heat up your face, and you noticed a slight blush creeping across Tsukishima’s cheeks as well.

As the three of you prepared to leave, Tsukishima cleared his throat, his voice cutting through the conversation. “Hey, Yamaguchi give me my car key, I’ll drive you back to the dormitory,” he said, his tone casual. “I need to head back to my apartment afterward.”

You blinked in surprise. So it was his car all along? You hadn’t known that before. And he didn’t live in the dorms either? It was such a small detail, but it made him seem even more impressive—like he had his life together in a way that felt almost unattainable.

Yamaguchi didn’t seem fazed by the information. “Sounds good to me,” he said with a grin, tossing you a playful wink as he stood up from the table. “I’m just along for the ride.”

As the three of you walked back to the car, you couldn’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. On the one hand, you were grateful for the time spent with them, for the laughter and the bonding over sushi. But on the other hand, you couldn’t shake the feeling that Tsukishima was slipping further away from you—like he was something you could never quite reach, no matter how close you got.

Your mind spun with the realization. Tsukishima didn’t just have his own car—he lived independently. He was an athlete, excelling in volleyball, and he was academically brilliant. He seemed to have everything figured out. He had his life together in a way that you could barely comprehend, and it made you feel strangely overwhelmed.

The ride back to the dormitory was quiet, the sun beginning to set in the distance. Yamaguchi hummed softly to himself in the passenger seat while you stared out the window, lost in thought. Tsukishima drove with his usual calm demeanor, but there was a tension in the air that hadn’t been there before.

And then, a nagging thought crept into your mind—Tsukishima was so put together, so perfect. How could he not have someone special in his life? A partner? The more you thought about it, the more your heart sank at the possibility.

You didn’t even realize that your smile had faded.

“Hey,” Tsukishima’s voice pulled you out of your thoughts. You looked up to see him glancing at you through the rearview mirror. “Are you listening?”

You blinked, realizing that you had been zoning out. “Oh, sorry,” you said quickly, trying to cover your embarrassment. “I was just… dozing off a bit.”

Tsukishima scoffed lightly, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “Were you that full after all that sushi?” he teased, his tone light and almost playful.

Your cheeks warmed at his words, feeling embarrassed. Did he think you ate too much? Did he think your portions were excessive? The thoughts spiraled in your head, but then you caught yourself. Why did his opinion even matter so much to you all of a sudden?

You laughed awkwardly, trying to brush it off. “I mean, the sushi was really good.”

Yamaguchi chuckled from the passenger seat. “Can’t argue with that.”

Tsukishima adjusted his glasses, his gaze lingering on you for a second longer before he spoke again. “I mentioned earlier… I have a copy of my notes from Professor Regenstein’s class. They might help you with your studies.”

You blinked in surprise, touched by the offer. “Oh, really? That would be so helpful. Thank you so much,” you said, your tone sincere.

Yamaguchi let out a laugh, playfully nudging Tsukishima’s shoulder. “Look at you, Tsukki—so thoughtful.”

Tsukishima rolled his eyes, his usual unimpressed expression returning, but there was a faint hint of warmth behind it that didn’t go unnoticed.

When you finally arrived at the dormitory, Tsukishima parked the car and turned to you. “I’ll drop you both here,” he said simply. “I need to head back to my apartment.”

You nodded, feeling a little disappointed but understanding. “Thanks for the ride,” you said softly, giving him a small smile as you unbuckled your seatbelt.

Yamaguchi was quick to hop out of the car, stretching his arms above his head with a yawn. “That was fun,” he said, flashing you both a grin. “We should do it again sometime,”

You nodded in agreement, feeling a bit more at ease as you stepped out of the car. “Yeah, definitely.”

Tsukishima said nothing more, simply giving you a nod before driving off, leaving you and Yamaguchi standing outside the dormitory together. You watched the car disappear into the distance, a strange ache settling in your chest as you realized how much you had come to care about Tsukishima—even if you couldn’t quite admit it to yourself yet.

sorry for the late post, it’s just when i was sick, my brain got all foggy and i couldn’t focus, so i didn’t feel confident writing cause i was afraid the emotions wouldn’t come through in the story. but i hope you guys like this one!

i’ve also been thinking about starting another fanfic series for a different character, maybe from jjk or haikyuu. what do you guys think? but omg, i'm already busy with this one haha, forgive my wild thoughts 🙈😄😋🙏🏻

tagslist (free to mention) ; @theweirdfloatything @snowthatareblack @ilovemymomscooking @nayiiryun @knightofmidnight @kozumesphone @scxrcherr @leycondones

[hellsite-noobteins]

raw input: penis filtered input: PENIS it's just a wibble, not much else to say i think?

stick | cartoon | surface

colored by pLDDT

[5-pounds-of-carrots]

p sure my humor peaked when i took biochem in college bc i regained access to my notes and oh man

[beakers-and-telescopes]

With the fast fashion industry… how it is… finding sustainable ways to make fabric is super important.  Fibers from synthetic fabrics make up 35% of the microplastics that make their way to the ocean.  Natural fibers sourced from plants or animals are much more environmentally sound options, including silk.

Currently, the only way to get natural silk on a large scale is to harvest it from silkworms.  You’ve probably heard about the strength and durability of spider silk (it is 6x stronger than Kevlar!) but as of yet there hasn’t been a good way of getting it.  Raising spiders the way people do silkworms isn’t really an option.  Spiders need a lot of room to build their webs compared to silkworms, and individual spiders don’t produce that much silk.  Plus, when you put a whole bunch of spiders in captivity together, they tend to start eating each other.

Attempts to artificially recreate spider silk have also been less than successful.  Spider silk has a surface layer of glycoproteins and lipids on it that works as a sort of anti-aging “skin”- allowing the silk to withstand conditions such as sunlight and humidity.  But this layer has been very tricky to reproduce.

However, as scientists in China realized, silkworms produce that same kind of layer on their silk.  So what if we just genetically modified silkworms to produce spider silk?

That is exactly what the researchers at Donghua University in Shanghai did.  A team of researchers introduced spider silk protein genes to silkworms using CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing and microinjections in silkworm eggs.  In addition to this, they altered the spider silk proteins so that they would interact properly with the other proteins in silkworm glands.  And it worked!  This is the first study ever to produce full length spider silk proteins from silkworms.

The applications of this are incredibly exciting.  In addition to producing comfortable textiles and new, innovative bulletproof vests, silkworm generated spider silk could be used in cutting edge smart materials or even just to create better performing sutures.  In the future, this team intends to research how to modify this new spider silk to be even stronger, and they are confident that “large-scale commercialization is on the horizon."

[thelailasblog]

[sunnysideupsciart]

Do you know that a 3000-year-old honey was still edible? Does honey ever spoil?

[petalandpastry]

day 8/100: 10.10

🌸 today was so longggg but I loved it all. also vry thankful that tape exists, so my arms don't turn to jello holding these lil tubies to the vortex for 10 minutes.

° extractions in the aDNA lab by myself for the first time!

° meeting about casework standardization & fundraising

° finished comp 2 (2/3)

° figured out some computer stuff + found a digital copy of my biochemistry textbook!

° got Halloween costumes with my partner

° paid a bill & went over my weekend budget