What Makes Cells Tick? Reverse Engineering Biological Cycles

Physics can explain the cycle of the earth around the sun, but what drives cellular cycles? Two of the most important cycles in cells are the series of events that take place when cells divide, and circadian rhythms - the cycle of day-night events that even bacteria participate in.

Researchers have been trying to reverse engineer cell cycles, and two recent successes give a fascinating molecular view of what's going on.

[Cash]

Three proteins in a test tube can oscillate? Biochem is a lot cooler than when I was in college.

[truthist]

Simply rutevanant. The intelligent body is called our universe. I have been always in tune with the less known in my world. Now I am oscilating knowingly.

I must say of the writing solely superb. A whole brain activity. I read it joyfully. Golly, what a day!

Ps. Rutevanant means filled with ecstacy.

[truthist]

Now you know ecstasy! Rutevanant??(Corrected)

I think we should get rid of the 'daylight saving time' business in these daya of computers and automation. Just to honor our oscilating rhythyms. And leave us alone with our circadian operations. It is only fair and square, right??

I am serious.

[hetrevillion]

Truly amazing, bio-chemical cycling in a test tube. Interesting article. I agree about daylight savings time, although off topic.

[Carpathian]

Cash wrote:

Three proteins in a test tube can oscillate? Biochem is a lot cooler than when I was in college.

I'm a real dummy when it comes to biology. Would you explain for comment to me?

[the brain knows]

I think that were veering to far into manipulating life , thats were corporations want scientists and engineers to do with nano-technology and physics. Its called invasive population control thru physio-chemical transmutation and bio-manipulation there loosining up the medical liabilitys factor while downsizing our rights to make way for it. Slow enough to adapt to it happening, while barely noticing it did

[Alabaster Bilgepump]

I am an occasional reader and comment contributor to these Topix posts. What I have read in the article that generated this post is probably the most effectual bit of information I've ever read. The social implications, as mentioned by the comment from Boston, are immense.

What goes on in those bits of protein when they are turned off or "undressed"?

[Spoil Sport]

Carpathian wrote:

<quoted text>
I'm a real dummy when it comes to biology. Would you explain for comment to me?

Good luck, brother or sister -- this one is WAY down the knowledge path.

I'm not sure I could follow how they got there, but after tens of thousands of research dollars and hours the biology-geeks have come up for air with a real, working example of a mechanism (oscillation) that drives cellular activities that are both necessary and very complex, while the mechanism itself is made of very simple parts that form an extremely robust whole.

The oscillation itself is and can be used as a timing cycle. Before it is used in a "creation of life" project, though, it can much more quickly and cheaply applied to biological computers, and, on the nanotechnology scale, precise timed release of in-body medications, et cetera.

All in all, quite an accomplishment. I would not be surprised to see this make it a lot easier to make hydrogen based fuel cells, even

[truthist]

Cash wrote:

Three proteins in a test tube can oscillate? Biochem is a lot cooler than when I was in college.

I agree, Cash.:) And getting cooler exponentially as you would know.

Thank you very much for this. It is to me almost like the day we read here about GRB080318B. My mind is cycling between the two ends of the spectrum. Nice workout.

[Billy Jack]

Very complex systems analysis. I think I'll stay with an easier question, Is the vacuum really empty? What does empty mean?

[truthist]

Billy Jack wrote:

Very complex systems analysis. I think I'll stay with an easier question, Is the vacuum really empty? What does empty mean?

Hi Billy Jack. Are you talking to me?

I have a hunch you just want someone to say: "Quantify the vacuum levels like high, low, and so on." Well, I just did. So vacuum in general is not empty.

"What does empty mean?" I wonder what Cash would say. To me, emptiness has to be defined but just about impossible to make. But you can get close enough to meet your requirements including the tradeoffs.

However, if there is an empty chair, have a seat. Asseyez vous, s'il vous plait.

[Once-ler]

I wonder, though, if the gene they isolated that they think orchestrates all this, really does, or just starts it.

When I took biochem (over a score of years ago, I'm with ya, Cash), I learned that these processes go in order because they build on one another. In other words, each process needs the previous one to finish, before it can proceed.

In addition, all that dressing & undressing is just getting the protein ready to be used when it is needed.

Interesting, but it seems like they found one answer and are pinning all these cycles on the one answer.

[Kosam]

What Makes Cells Tick? Reverse Engineering Biological Cycles: NO! Funding and more funding. The cycles are from the taxpayer to the government and to their man made island and all one has to do is come up with something that uneducated people would say, amazing, keep digging you may die never knowing, if, there was a way to recreate what God had created and you'll not be there to see God or what was started from the beginning of creation.