Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA: Recent Episodes
BC on Science
Ribonucleic Acid - it's not just for transferring genetic information between DNA and proteins anymore. This blog will discuss current gossip, news, and major papers within the field. The level of discussion will be quite detailed, yet I hope that non-scientists who are interested in RNA will be able to follow.
Watch the videoTwo different short bits dealing with RNA and autism. One funny and tasty, the other dealing with an ill-informed (euphemism) money hound. In part 2, the individual actually uses the recent awarding of the Nobel Prize for the discovery of RNAi to help drum up some dollars for the Drinkee Drinkee Cure Autism RNA lady.
Runtime is 10 minutes.
Watch the videoQ: Why would anyone want to get the RNA out of yeast so they can ingest it?
A: I don't know, but I know it won't cure Autism.
Here's how to do it...
Watch the videoI simply had to go to the source of information about RNA drops curing autism and boy, oh boy. A feller could have an entire blogging career taking these sales pamphlets / presentations / mockery of science apart, piece by piece.
btw, no one laughed at the injesting/ingesting/in-jesting game. Come on and give me some affirmation love.
running time: 9m 30sec
Watch the video???
Why the blazes would you ever want to put a mole of nucleotides or oligonucleotides into your mouth? Very simple: because you've been told it'll cure autism, that's why. It'll also cure heavy wallet syndrome, and who really wants a big old lump in your back pocket making the derrier look all lopsided and such? Just a quick look at pH and RNase-induced transesterification. Remember, you have a filthy mouth, whether you swear like Cartman or not.
For the RNAphiles, I'm not even getting into depurination or anything. Just the basics.
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 8: Current Papers - RNA Binding Sites, P-Bodies, and Retrotransposons
Watch the video (pop)
A rough look at the following papers:
Virus-like particles of the Ty3 retrotransposon assemble in association with P-body components.
and
Intronic Binding Sites for hnRNP A/B and hnRNP F/H Proteins Stimulate Pre-mRNA Splicing.
Kudos to PLoS and the Open Access option that allows the public real-time access of this great science.
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 7: What Not To Do During a Group Meeting (mov)
Watch the video (pops)
A great example of what not to do during your group meeting presentation.
Here we have exhibit A, the last slide of graduate student Y's great data-heavy presentation. And then the fun started. Why, oh why, did he chose to do this. And more importantly, why didn't he run it by me before doing it? Oh, who am I kidding, I would have encouraged it. meh.
For a small file, check out:
http://blip.tv/file/12335
or if you like google:
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 6: Famous RNA Investigator Fun (mov)
Watch the video (pops)
A quick and fun survey of online pictures of RNA lab heads. Running title: shiny-faced people.
For a smaller version of this file compatible with cell phones check out
http://blip.tv/file/11163
And now for the RNA Products Poll
| Free polls from Pollhost.com | | What is your favorite RNA product (loosely defined)? | | RNA toothpaste? RNA drops? RNA supplements? RNA shampoo? RNA deoderant? Bottled blood from the wound your PI gives you during group meeting? |
A Worst PI Poll. Vote and Comment. I'll get the results sometime next week!
| What is the worst PI/lab head situation to find yourself? | | The overly amorous PI. | | The buddy PI. | | The married-to-the-lab manager / superpostdoc PI. | | The screaming / cussing PI. | | The passive-aggressive PI. | | The meek PI. | | The idiot PI. | | The big-talker PI. | | | | Free polls from Pollhost.com |
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 5: Three current RNA papers
Watch the video(pops)
A quick and dirty review of three current RNA papers:
1. 14mer RNA aptamer targeting FMN.
2. Gene regulation through nuclear retention.
3. Ligand requirements of the glmS ribozyme.
Enjoy,
-BC
From the RNA Products Competition. Here are the entries to date:
This first is a historical picture pulled from a toothpaste museum. Amazing.
This wrinkle cream will surely keep the RNases on the skin happy.
Who says science stinks?
All links are safe for work, scary, funny, pathetic and hell, they're everything I could have asked from the contributors. Links are from the contributors and the comments are mine.
From Iceman Dennis Bergkamp:
RNA for... Everything!
Yeah! I was right, RNA is my savior! PS - the oral RNA drops, anyone guessing that all the phenol got out of the extraction (it's likely a total RNA extract from our favorite fungus - no flames from muchroom hunters if you please). Tsk tsk, wes gots to use diethyl ether to gets all the phenol out, precious. Mmmmm, tasty!
You want someone to really make you feel smart? Check out the
Skin Cream
Shampoo
This one is actually scary (scroll to eye care).
Here's some related ones I liked:
An explanation of RNA.
You'd better squeeze a bit of that 95% EtOH into your caffeine intake device before viewing this one. What was the IT person thinking when making this page? I mean, they took some time here, they must have thought about the science, right? RIGHT?
From tallvolleyballscientist:
C&E News cover
I'm loving the nice linear mRNA strand that's being read by the um, not-quite-to-scale polyribosomes. What's up with the straddle-the-watering-can technique? Kind of, um... yeah.
Creationist Fun
A great pinata swing (close your eyes and swing as hard as you can) at the RNA World hypothesis. Bonus points would have been made if the authors of the site had drawn some people sitting on a saddle atop one of those dinosaurs Flintstones-style. One can imagine Cain saying, "Whoah! Easy Bronto-Besse! Just clamp your chompers down on this bit and Uncle Cainy will give you a nice lump of sugar." Caveat: there are solid criticisms of any theory and the RNA World hypothesis is a hypothesis. But it's one with a hell of a lot of data to support it.
Anti-aging RNA
RNA as a lifetime extender. This is great. Look, Ma, no telomerase! Check out Dr. Ben Frank, is he related to Dr. Benjamin Dover?
Oh, and here's some more I dug up:
There some RNA-ishness to this art:
RNA drawings
RNA lotion(gotta scroll down), this stuff's marked down too!
RNA Eye Cream with Sodium PCA
But no PCI, right?!
Keep 'em coming and I'll set up the poll this coming week.
-BC
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 4: How to Join an RNA Lab?
Watch the video(pops a new window)
How does a young person decide where to go to school if they're already hooked on RNA?
Take a look at how someone might use the internet to find an RNA lab if they're not privy to journal clubs, society meetings and the input of postdocs and PIs. We stumble on one of the best labs in the business of crystallizing RNA. Enjoy.
-BC
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 3: RNA Uses Contest!
Watch the video(pops new window)
email me your ideas for strange, pathetic, idiotic, snippy, interesting, amazing, and unbelievable uses for RNA. Here's some inspiration (psst top link)Submit text ideas, photoshopped images, real images, audio files and video files (a link if they're too big). I just ask that we make it SFW.I'll post them all and then we'll vote using a poll I'll post next week.Submit early, submit often - like a manuscript.The winner can chose a paper that I'll review as an episode. Not that that's a reason to go for the gold or anything.-BC
Introduction to Bartholomew Cubbins on Science
Watch the video (pops) Short intro about the topics I'll cover in detail: Autism, RNA, Immunology, and General Science.
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 2
Watch the video (pops) A detailed look at The speed of RNA transcription and metabolite binding kinetics operate an FMN riboswitch. Mol Cell. 2005 Apr 1;18(1):49-60.
Bartholomew Cubbins on RNA Episode 1
Watch the video (pops) A detailed look at The kinetics of ligand binding by an adenine-sensing riboswitch. Biochemistry. 2005 Oct 11;44(40):13404-14.