February 05, 2021

The Biology Collection Is Growing On Me - Part 3: Molecular Biology + Biochemistry

One of my goals in the last two years was to grow my Biology Collection. This is Part 3, the final part of the Biology Blog Series which explores the Molecular Biology + Biochemistry designs in The Chemist Tree Shop.

Molecular biology and biochemistry are closely related subjects that are quite research intensive. My undergraduate degree was in Molecular Biology and I had to take many lab courses in both subjects areas. Some of the lab techniques that are used in molecular biology and biochemistry research have inspired the designs in my collection.

PART 3: MOLECULAR BIOLOGY + BIOCHEMISTRY

A very common lab technique in a biology lab is Gel Electrophoresis, where a gel is used to separate mixed samples of DNA into its smaller components by size when an electrical current is applied. A typical gel looks like the diagram on the We Gel Well Card. Each band is a different sized DNA fragment.

Another common lab technique is the PCR (polymerase chain reaction). It is a method of making many copies of a DNA sample using a cocktail of ingredients that include an enzyme called Taq polymerase. You can see the steps of what happens during a PCR in this PCR Thank You Card.

Scientists can learn about the function of a gene by conducting an experiment called a gene knockout. There are a few ways to do this in a lab and one method involves a plasmid that might look like the one you see on the Gene Knockout Valentine Card.

Another way to study gene function in the lab is to use the CRISPR Cas9 system of gene editing. In 2020, the CRISPR Cas9 method invented by scientists Emmanuelle Charpentier and Jennifer Doudna won a Nobel Prize and that was the inspiration for designing this punny Merry CRISP-mas Card.

When you work in a biology lab, you use different kinds of tubes and vials to carry out your experiments. Some of them look like these felt Molecular Biology Ornaments below, showing two centrifuge tubes with a blue and orange cap and a smaller eppendorf tube. When it isn't the holiday season, these keepsakes can be used all year round as bookmarks, gift tags or decor you can hang on your bags, backpacks or car mirror.

For me, these certainly bring back memories of working in the lab. Have you ever worked in a lab? What do you think of the Biology Collection? Any other areas of Biology you would like to see in the Chemist Tree Shop? Let me know in the comments below.

If you missed Parts 1 & 2 of the Biology Collection Blog Series, click on the links below to catch up.

Part 1: Genetics

Part 2: Microbiology + Virology + Mycology