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Common molecules sample 51006 - Reciprocal Net Log in
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Empirical formula: C165H185N20O30
Formula weight: 2928.401 g/mole
R(F): 0.1810
Structural formula: C165H185N20O30
Common name: Phycocyanin
PDB entry #: 1cpc
Keyword: cyanobacteria
Keyword: coloring
Short description: Phycocyanin is a blue pigment found in some algae.
Layman's explanation: Phycocyanin is a naturally produced blue pigment that is found in blue-green algae and cyanobacteria, and is metal free. It fluoresces at a particular wavelength, which means that it can be used as a chemical tag. When the pigment is exposed to strong light in a sample, it absorbs all the light energy and releases it back in a range of wavelengths which is very narrow, and since it only attaches to certain cells, one can see which cells have been tagged by the antibodies attached to the phycocyanin. It is a light absorbing stable protein that works well with chlorophylls in the algae. The compound is also used as a coloring agent in biological research, and it is safe enough to use as a synthetic coloring agent in many types of foods and cosmetics.
Lab name: Common molecules
Sample provider: Obtained from the Protein Data Bank
Status: Complete, visible to public
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