ABSTRACT
Many proteins are very heat sensitive and begin to denature or lose the complex structure if left lying about on the lab bench at room temperature for any length of time. An enzyme is a specialised protein that can perform a biological ‘job’ such as sticking two molecular elements together or breaking them apart. Many biomedical experiments require a basic understanding of the practical use of enzymes, even if they are being used as tools rather than as the subject of the investigation. The transfer of proteins from the gel to the membrane constitutes the 'blotting' part of the process, and is usually performed wet with the gel mounted next the membrane and with a current passing through from the gel to the membrane. The disulphide bonds between the cysteine residues are reduced by P-mercaptoethanol, allowing the protein to unfold.
