User:David Griffin/Sandbox 1
From Proteopedia
Alginate monomers
One of the CBI Molecules being studied in the University of Massachusetts Amherst Chemistry-Biology Interface Program at UMass Amherst and on display at the Molecular Playground.
Alginate is an organic, linear polymer isolated from certain bacteria and algae. It has been shown to be biocompatible (non-toxic to human cells) and has found numerous applications as a biomaterial for cellular engineering.
Alginate is composed of a random sequence of mannuronic acid (M) and guluronic acid (G). Exposure to a divalent cation (e.g. calcium, magnesium, etc.) chemically cross-links alginate solutions forming a gel. The ratio of G/M in the alginate chain influences the strength of the gel and can be tuned by
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