Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

Therapy (to cure disease) by chemically synthesized drugs.  

An empirical methodology utilized to (inexpensively) infer a chemical quantity/value from (indirect) measurement(s) of other physical/chemical values (which can be obtained inexpensively). The term chemometrics was coined in 1975 by Bruce Kowalski. One example of the use of chemometrics is to infer the TME(N) or “true metabolizable energy” of high-oil com from that corn’s protein…

Protein molecules inside living cells that assist with correct protein folding as the protein molecule emerges from the cell’s ribosome. Examples of such chaperone molecules include heat-shock protein 70 and heat-shock protein 40. An individual who accompanies a health care provider during the examination of a disrobed patient to ensure that sexual boundary violations do…

Diamond vs. Chakrabarty, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1980; a landmark case in which the U.S. Supreme Court held that the inventor of a new microorganism whose invention otherwise met the legal requirements for obtaining a patent, could not be denied a patent solely because the invention was alive. It essentially allowed the patenting of life…

The set of current, up-to date methodologies, practices, and procedures mandated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) which are to be followed in the testing and manufacture of pharmaceuticals. The set of rules and regulations promulgated and enforced by the FDA to ensure the manufacture of safe clinical supplies. The cGMP guidelines are more…

A machine that is used to separate heavier from lighter molecules and cellular components and structures. A device to separate the components of a liquid by rapid spinning. A device that uses centrifugal force to separate two or more substances of different density. A simple centrifuge is a container that is spun rapidly to speed…

The historical organizing principle of molecular genetics; it states that genetic information flows from DNA to RNA to protein—or, stated in another way: DNA makes RNA which makes protein. This principle was first stated by Watson and Grick. It is, however, not rigorously accurate as illustrated by the facts that: The enzyme reverse transcriptase produces…

A protein engineering research consortium that was established in Rockville, Maryland during 1989 by the U.S. Government, the University of Maryland, and local government.  

Also called cell-mediated immunity. The immune response that is carried out by specialized cells, in contrast to the response carried out by soluble antibodies. The specialized cells that make up this group include cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL), helper T lymphocytes, macrophages, and monocytes. This system works in concert with the humoral immune response.  

Tendency of cells to adhere specifically to cells of the same type. This property is lost in some cancer cells.