Hurray for Science and Scientists

Prompt: Epitome

 

This illustration of Epitome, a database of structurally inferred antigenic epitopes in proteins, i.e., known antigenic residues and the antibodies that interact with them, including a detailed description of residues involved in the interaction and their sequence/structure environments, is for me the epitome of specialized science: opaque, brilliant, obscure, necessary, esoteric, and curious. Scientists from all over the world contributed (and still do?) to this epitome.

This is not a criticism or a joke. How I would love to have a Masters in Bioinformatics with Systems Biology, for example, instead of being a good speller and able to do some crosswords in pen, and the fact I once made a serious and unlikeable woman laugh, and can draw a little, and studied geophysics once, also religious studies, children’s lit, and kinesiology. My life is a failure, as far as specialized science goes.

I know enough to know that I hardly know anything at all. And I know that because I don’t understand this science, or parts of it might be unpleasant or scary, doesn’t mean I can dismiss it. I believe in believing the experts. Hear that, climate-change deniers?

 

Schematic representation of two antibodies interacting with linear and conformational epitopes.
[Converted to a poem by me]

a.

Linear epitopes
are short and continuous
like dachshunds.
After denaturation
the linear epitopes may still
be able to
bind
the antibody.
I have hope.

b.

Conformational epitopes
are domains
of proteins
composed of specific regions of
protein chains.
Never alone.
After denaturation
the discontinuous epitope
can no longer
bind
the antibody.

Love conquers all.

 

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• Source: ttps://www.rostlab.org/services/Epitome/