Bioluminescence: v1

PROTEINS AND GLOW:  There are many different proteins in the human body.  Actin-myosin proteins are found in muscles, and collagen protein in bones. Opsin proteins in the eyes give us the gift of sight.  How many different proteins are found in the human body?

PROTEINS AND GLOW:  In our eyes there are unique opsin proteins. When they are struck by specific frequencies of light, they will react in a way that our cells can detect.

RESILIN: Resilin protein is like super rubber. It’s the most elastic material on earth.

RESILIN: When a balloon or rubber band is stretched over and over, it becomes unable to spring back to its old shape. Insect resilin proteins can be stretched nearly a hundred thousand times and still not lose their elasticity.

RESILIN: A dragonfly’s tendons are made of resilin. When a dragonfly moves its wings up and down, its tendons are repeatedly stretched. After each stroke, the resilin tendons snap the wings back to make the next stroke easier for the dragonfly. 

MUSSEL SUPER GLUE: Oysters have the strongest underwater glue known to man. This protein glue is being studied by scientists for applications like mending bleeding during operations, repairing damage to a ship’s hull while in the water and making waterproof bandages that can stay glued regardless of how long they are underwater.

MUSSEL SUPER GLUE: There’s a big problem to making this super glue. To copy this super-glue, the amino acid, DOPA– a critical part of the glue protein– needs to be made. DOPA is what enables the waterproof mussel glue to stick to almost anything including rocks, wood, and metal–even when it is underwater!

MUSSEL SUPER GLUE: The dilemma researchers are faced with is that DOPA needs to be made in great quantities. To do this, DOPA needs to be manufactured by bacteria. But, the problem is that the microscopic bacteria can’t break it down.

MUSSEL SUPER GLUE: The only type of true protein is the kind found in muscles–the kind we get when we eat meat. Soy proteins and other proteins are made from meat proteins.

MUSSEL SUPER GLUE: We say proteins are like what? (Because proteins are such unique amazing molecules that we like to say they are like things in what kind of store?)