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2004-10-09 Down Under

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Posted by Mark Espinola 2004-10-09 4:51:13 AM|| || Front Page|| [3 views since 2007-05-07] Top

#1 Okay.
So when do you send granny to the glue factory? I figure August the market is way down, April perhaps?

Posted by Shipman 2004-10-09 11:45:44 AM|| 2004-10-09 11:45:44 AM|| Front Page Top

#2 Fascinating. But, given the behaviour of the frogs in question, I imagine harvesting the secretions could be a bit problematical. Perhaps the next study should look at this as a bioengineering possibility.

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-09 11:52:38 AM|| 2004-10-09 11:52:38 AM|| Front Page Top

#3 Frog's Glue? I thought that was the stuff Frenchmen put under their arms before going off to war to keep their arms in the air.

Posted by Zpaz 2004-10-09 2:25:44 PM|| 2004-10-09 2:25:44 PM|| Front Page Top

#4 Protein science/biology has come a long way. Secreted animal protein products (like this glue are basically a folded linear string of amino acids that can be sequenced like DNA. Once the protein is unfolded, it is sequenced, and then DNA code necessary to produce the protein can be determined. With the DNA sequence, you can create the gene de-novo and splice the gene for the protein production into a bacteria or yeast that will then begin to secrete the "frog-glue". Once you have the bacteria/yeast, you just grow 'em in big fermenters/vats and separate out the glue from the liquid in the vat.

Modern biochemistry ROCKS! Nobody is going to have to "milk frogs" for this glue.

Posted by Leigh 2004-10-09 5:07:58 PM|| 2004-10-09 5:07:58 PM|| Front Page Top

#5 (INRE #4)

There goes my teensy-tiny milking stool business!

Posted by eLarson 2004-10-09 5:35:33 PM|| [http://larsonian.blogspot.com] 2004-10-09 5:35:33 PM|| Front Page Top

#6 Thanks, Leigh. I've been out of the loop (even by proxy) for a very long time.

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-09 6:35:38 PM|| 2004-10-09 6:35:38 PM|| Front Page Top

#7 "Perhaps the next study should look at this as a bioengineering possibility."

I see an immediate commercial application: sell the frogs, along with the aquaria to keep them in and a supply of food, to sports bars. They'd make a GREAT replacement for darts and dartboards-- paint a bullseye on the wall and you've got a Frog Toss.

Posted by Dave D. 2004-10-09 7:04:45 PM|| 2004-10-09 7:04:45 PM|| Front Page Top

#8 Dave, PETA would have a fit!

Posted by trailing wife 2004-10-09 7:12:21 PM|| 2004-10-09 7:12:21 PM|| Front Page Top

#9 Well, if they showed up at the sports bar to protest, then you could just give the frogs a rest and have a PETA Person Toss...

Posted by Dave D. 2004-10-09 7:23:49 PM|| 2004-10-09 7:23:49 PM|| Front Page Top

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