What On Earth?

[Zacs-Master]

I pride myself in being able to work out the basics of technology but this one has me stumped. What on earth do these things do?
http://www.lifetechnologies.com/uk/en/home/life-science/protein-expression-and-analysis/western-blotting.html?cid=display_TRFC-WestFlow-CO116306&ef_id=U62yNAAAASSOaEiK:20140627180516:d

[theprof]

It's applications include detection of BSE ("mad-cow disease") in blood and tissue samples, detection of Lyme Disease (which can be very difficult to diagnose otherwise), FIV (the cat version of HIV) and loads more other more complex applications.

A typical "scientific explananation" it might well be Zacs-Master, but the reality is that I can't simplify it further for you. My explanation is so simplified that I'd expect criticism from my first year biochemistry students. Do you really want it in more detail?

[Zacs-Master]

No ta. That's fine.

[theprof]

My Pleasure

[boxtops]

I'm glad someone knows!

[royfromaus]

How many years have you been waiting for an ABer to ask about 'Western Blot Analysis' Prof?

[Zacs-Master]

I love a clear explanananananaation.

[Prudie]

Well it's clearly used for animal testing so I disapprove...

[Zacs-Master]

For some reason an advert for rimless toilets has appeard.

[theprof]

Prudie, forensic science labs use it along with biochemistry departments in all universities, research companies, disease-control government laboratories, germ-warfare facilities. The list goes on and on.

My own laboratories use the stuff on the web-page link on a daily basis.

[Prudie]

Well we've all learnt something tonight

[Zacs-Master]

Even if we're not quite sure what it is.

[theprof]

Nothing to do with vivisection or animal testing Prudie.

[Prudie]

Well I got this off Zacs' link and even think I understand that..

The kits are available with anti-mouse or anti-rabbit secondary antibodies

[Zacs-Master]

LOL, again.

[scorpiojo]

Enjoy ;-)

http://www.pierce-antibodies.com/targets/t/MouseSecondaryAntibodies.cfm

[theprof]

Anti-mouse/Anti-rabbit antibodies are not obtained via "animal-testing" nor vivisection.

[theprof]

Thanks scorpiojo. Can't see anything there that points to testing or laboratory vivisection of animals.

[Peter Pedant]

Thank God there was a some sanity as the usual suspects thrash around
- I wont say goading each other
perhaps vying with each other for the most gormless comment

why didnt anyone wiki it ? here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_blot

and why isnt there a Southern blot ? erm there is - see article - invented by Edwin Southern, then as the fella above said, Western Blot came along and was named thus, as a sort of in jokey pun. see above again

Think of a soup of molecules of various sizes
you can get them to spread out in a gel sheet - smallest travelling fastest.
so basically this allows you to put them in an order of size.

Fun - students were tortured with this sort of detail thirty y ago in lab courses but it wasnt REALLY the technology used in the genome projects where you are talking about a billion yup 1000 000 000 individual blots.


Any book on molecular biology will have lots and lots on this.

I have to say not something for a Friday rainy night.


honestly Prof - you're not gonna get thro'
give them the refs and have a cup of tea....

[royfromaus]

What a pity you didn't turn up @ 10 o'clock PP.
It would have saved a further 37 posts,

[Peter Pedant]

You tube watching a Chaitin lecture
which really was summit for a wet Friday night