Silk Road forums

Market => Product requests => Topic started by: PartialRefraction on March 06, 2012, 11:02 pm

Title: Organic Chemist Wanted: proteins, lipids
Post by: PartialRefraction on March 06, 2012, 11:02 pm
I have a biological project I am working on. I am looking for someone who could synthesis particular proteins, and lipids... compound information will be provided (formula, structure). If anyone can point me in the proper direction, or can help me out themselves, let me know.
Title: Re: Organic Chemist Wanted: proteins, lipids
Post by: wowzers on March 06, 2012, 11:17 pm
I think it's quinone who's doing structural biochemistry, he might be able to help you out.
Could you provide any more details- are they small peptides and lipids or larger molecules? Are they commercially available? I do have contacts so if you tell me more details I can probably point you in the direction of someone who can help...
Title: Re: Organic Chemist Wanted: proteins, lipids
Post by: quinone on March 08, 2012, 05:24 am
I have a biological project I am working on. I am looking for someone who could synthesis particular proteins, and lipids... compound information will be provided (formula, structure). If anyone can point me in the proper direction, or can help me out themselves, let me know.

Do you have the sequences of the protein's you want synthesized?  If not you'll find them on the PDB (Protein Data Bank), but there are so many isoforms you really need to really  make sure you're looking at the correct protein.  I unfortunately do not have access to a lab atm, but provided you have it's sequence with proper annealing primers (I can help ... but preparing DNA for vector ligation is ... work that is worthy of BTC ;) ) you can order any sequence and then there are any number of countless lab's that will PCR amplify your DNA for you (without questioning/caring what it is ... you'd just need to know exactly how much dNTPs, Taq, etc. to add ... again I can help you with this but it's more or less reliant on the protein).

Your problem arises at this point because you need a cloning vector (bacteria) to ligate (insert) your protein DNA in so that it can actually produce your protein (transcription->translation ... I don't need to go into the highschool biology) by having the bacteria do it's thing.  This process requires equipment that well ... you can buy, but it's highly questionable if it would be worth it (and besides, do you have access to an autoclave? or a centrifuge (not table-top)?).  Typically cells need to be grown for 16 hours (@ 37C) and then induced into protein production (16 hours @37C) in a shaker with a constant temp.  Don't ask me why cloning vector's like 16 hour's of growth so much :D Point being, you'd need access to a lab with expensive equipment and reagents.  Even if I could help you, preparing and inducing cloning vector's with your protein is a very time consuming task that i'm certain a colleague would ask 'Why are you doing molecular biology (at the point of research we've done all the mol. bio.)', but that not being the issue it would be ... unfairly expensive to you.

I'm more then willing to help with the information side of it for/with you though, it's just that like I described, the logistics of harvesting a protein from scratch are challenging.

What kind of lipids are you talking about?  Are you talking about in vitro glycosylated lipids, or just simple nascent in vivo lipids?  If you're just looking for some simple straight chain lipid, to my knowledge there are no scheduling restrictions on them (unless they carry a sulfur group at the hydrophilic end ... or any other structure that is clearly menacing and toxic).  You'll have to forgive that i'm not an 'expert' on lipid biochemistry (it's all about the protein's baby) so I may be glossing over some things.  To my knowledge (and anyone please correct me if i'm wrong) to manufacture a lipid with sidechains you'd need a selective protecting group for every methyl except the one being branched, and it's two adjacent methyl groups would need to be selectively protected to make the branching carbon nucleophilic.  AKA pretty difficult organic chemistry that I imagine could encompass an entire research project.  It's possible to react two lipid chain carrying oligosaccharides, but again would require some fancy chemistry and research.  I've only ever taken a handful of courses on lipid biochemistry, so forgive my lack of knowledge on their synthesis.  All the research lab's i've worked in who do any study of lipids are studying in vitro lipid structures (like the glycosolating events done to tag it) and i'm struggling to think of any in vivo application there is in lipid synthesis (other then chemical weapons or soap).

I doubt anything I just said helped, but hopefully something did lol.  Without knowing what kind of protein your talking about, same with lipid and your intended application with them I can really only give you the lame answers I did above.  I am very curious to know what your interest's are though.

Thank you for the referral Wowzer's :D

PS: If wowzers has contact's def. go with her then, cuz I can provide you no lab sadly :(