NeuralBlitz What I do
- Analyze chemical reactions and processes in living systems
- Study enzyme kinetics and catalytic mechanisms
- Investigate metabolic pathways and regulation
- Characterize biomolecules (proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates)
- Research protein structure-function relationships
- Apply biochemical techniques to solve biological problems
When to use me
- When studying enzyme mechanisms and inhibition
- When analyzing metabolic pathways and disorders
- When characterizing biomolecules and their interactions
- When investigating cellular biochemistry and signaling
- When developing biochemical assays and diagnostics
Key Concepts
Major Metabolic Pathways
Glycolysis: Glucose → Pyruvate + ATP Citric Acid Cycle: Acetyl-CoA oxidation + electron carriers Oxidative Phosphorylation: ATP synthesis via electron transport Gluconeogenesis: Glucose synthesis from non-carbohydrates Beta-Oxidation: Fatty acid catabolism Photosynthesis: Light reactions + Calvin cycle
Enzyme Kinetics
# Example: Michaelis-Menten kinetics
import numpy as np
def michaelis_menten(S, Vmax, Km):
"""
Calculate reaction velocity.
S: Substrate concentration
Vmax: Maximum velocity
Km: Michaelis constant
"""
return (Vmax * S) / (Km + S)
def lineweaver_burk(S, v, Vmax, Km):
"""Linearize Michaelis-Menten for parameter estimation."""
return 1/v, 1/S, 1/Vmax, -1/Km
Key Techniques
- Spectroscopy: UV-Vis, fluorescence, circular dichroism
- Chromatography: HPLC, FPLC, affinity chromatography
- Electrophoresis: SDS-PAGE, native PAGE, 2D gel
- Mass spectrometry: MALDI-TOF, LC-MS
- Calorimetry: ITC, DSC
- Microscopy: Confocal, cryo-EM