Rob Patnaude

Biotechnology undergrad with an interest in all forms of research.

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@md_bcs Sounds like you'll be busy! Good luck with everything! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@LudmillaSommer1 I've wanted to visit Japan myself, hope you enjoy it! Good luck with your endeavors back home! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@selmahodzic15 Good luck with the MCAT, I've heard it's quite challenging. Hopefully you don't need it! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@Shawnia18621883 I knew that cancer grows quickly and uses a lot of energy, but I didn't realize it met its energy needs by essentially force-feeding the TCA cycle through an abundance of pyruvate carboxylase. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@selmahodzic15 My dad suffers from both of those! Didn't know they were related. I wonder if diabetes medication might alleviate the apnea, or if is more of a neurological relationship. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@Katel1092 Considering that cancer cells have notable differences from normal cells, I wonder if it would be possible to target this treatment to only cancer cells. Would beat current chemotherapy by a long shot! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@GenomicsRaph Polycistronic mRNA encodes multiple (typically metabolically related) proteins from different genes; regular mRNA codes for one protein. Multiple bacterial ribosomes can translate polycistronic mRNA at the same time, but eukaryotes can do one at a time. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@Katel1092 Something that comes to mind is that DNA is typically assembled by proteins directly, and that while renaturing is possible, misalignment could easily occur considering all the repeating sections, or even the formation of dimers. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@kenzie_school Prions being misfolded proteins that build up in brain tissue come to mind, although not a lot is understood about the properly folded protein's function yet. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

Hey #sciencetwitter, just learned that 20 amino acids code for proteins in humans, but there are many more. What are some notable non-protein amino acids and their functions? #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@Madalyn__L It makes a lot of sense looking back. Why rely on making something new, when biology can just modify what is already available and use that instead! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

While I knew that 20 amino acids are used to make human proteins, I never realized that not only are there a bunch more, but that some get modified to become hormones or other structures completely unrelated to making proteins! #prescottbiochemistry #lightbulbmoment

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@mpowahs7 I felt that way when I mentioned ricin in an earlier module. Tiny protein, but extremely dangerous! A single molecule can shutdown an entire cell. And the plant that produces it somehow evolved to create it without destroying itself. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@KelsieD12 I heard it explained is that entropy is chaos (disorder), and that most actions cannot be reversed creating permanent chaos. So, as time goes on, more and more chaos exists! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

Collagen is a structural protein with a helical shape that contains proline, an inflexible amino acid that typically disfavors helices. What other amino acid is most likely present that accommodates proline's inflexibility?#prescottbiochemistry @peerwise

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

#prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@Madethisforbio1 One of the variations had antibodies on outside of membrane, and when the appropriate antigen attached, a signal passed through the bilayer to a film that read the signal. Membranes can hold many types of proteins, so different kind of signals can be sent. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

Nanobiosensors utilizing lipid bilayers are being developed that are faster, more sensitive, and can test a broader range of substances including toxins, pollutants, viruses, pesticides and others compared to current methods such as chromatography. #prescottbiochemistry

[Atlas of Science @AtlasOfScience]

Lipid membrane nanosensors for environmental monitoring - https://t.co/CrHPrspT6x

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@GenomicsRaph Having used reverse osmosis membranes in the Navy (nuclear reactors need the purest water possible!), it's interesting how irregular their thicknesses are! I always thought that as a synthetic product, it would have a homologous structure. #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@JKC5538 It's fascinating that an excess of fatty acids can lead to a compound being turned from a necessary component of apoptosis, to be stored away and making cancer resistant to treatment. It seems that a healthy weight not only reduces risk of heart disease! #prescottbiochemistry

[Rob Patnaude @dkael62]

@MontgomeryTaeya It was interesting that a lack of SPNS2 in mice actually weakened cancer, simply by changing the ratio of different types of immune cells present! This might lead to some interesting developments in cancer treatments. #prescottbiochemistry