Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

An enzyme that catalyzes the hydration (addition of hydrogen atoms) of fumaric acid to maleic acid, as well as the reverse dehydration reaction (removal of hydrogen atoms). An enzyme present in many plants and animals. It catalyzes the production of L-malic acid from fumaric acid.  

The component of the total energy of a system that can do work at a constant temperature and pressure. Also known as Gibbs free energy. Energy not trapped or used further; usually dissipated as heat.  

A mutation from the wild (natural) type to the mutant (type).  

An enzyme which catalyzes the oxidation of formaldehyde to formic acid (formate at intracellular pH). It requires NAD (i.e., nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide) as an electron acceptor. It is important in the metabolism of methanol.  

A technique used by researchers to determine precisely where (on DNA molecule) certain DNA-binding proteins make specific contact with that DNA molecule. For example, certain types of drugs act by binding tightly to certain DNA molecules in specific locations (e.g., in order to halt cancerous growth of cells, etc.). A technique for identifying the site…

The Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) approval mechanism for a process to manufacture a given food or food additive. It is implemented instead of specific regulations (such as those used to dictate processes in simple food manufacture, as in beef packing), due to the newness of the technology, and may later be superceded (due to…

A machine that is used to sort cells from a mixed group of cells (e.g., to remove only the cells into which a new gene has been inserted via genetic engineering techniques). The desired cells are first labeled with a specific fluorescent dye, then passed through a flow chamber that is illuminated by a laser…

A gene in com/maize (Zea mays L.) that (when present in the DNA of a given plant) causes that plant to produce seed that contains higher-than-traditional levels of the amino acids methionine and tryptophan.  

Dehydrogenases are enzymes (involved in removing hydrogen atoms from their substrate) which require one of the riboflavin coenzymes, FMN or FAD, in order to function.  

Nucelotide coenzymes (FMN and FAD) containing riboflavin.