Came across an article about closing wounds by bio-welding using lazers and albumen as a solder.Has anybody come across this technique? Would the general principle apply to protein molecules generally?

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), June 19, 2000

Answers

This is interesting. Why would someone use albumin when the feed stocks for Elmer's glue is so readily available? Would the "rejection rate" be greater at the molecular level. I would think you would want something that "go away" as the tissue repairs itself. OTOH, the protein would "probably" breakdown no matter where used, internally or externally.

Why restrict yourself to looking with the Biophysicists? Anything of interest would be reported in some of the more popular Journals of Medicine. Most of the Biophysicists publish there or in the regular Chemical Journals. (Years ago,I suppose when they couldn't afford much of any journal at all, they got in the habit of cross publishing.)

They are very few in number because it is a rather rigorous discipline requiring using Math at the grad level beyond even what the Physical Chemists do plus use of all the jargon of the Biologists.

The most famous of the Breed is a Biophysicist "de-facto" Sir Francis Crick who has recently been doing the most exciting work on vision since DNA at SF's Exploratorium.

I only did a year of grad bio-physics but one of my papers was on the Math of Tuneable Lasers some 15 years ago. The use of lasers for surgery is well documented and we are in about the 5th generation of techniques and 10th of apparati (spell ? ).

In addition, one doesn't need much training at all to know that the readily available and isolatable albumin is "sticky" and most importantly, CHEAP. However, molecular "sticking" would be a matter of the shape of the Protein and the chemistry of the surface. Some would be more suitable than others.

Could one take anything shaped like Albumin and make it function?

Who knows? Try it and report back here to the Committee for review.

-- cpr (buytexas@swbell.net), June 19, 2000.

Chris:

Here is one journal that has articles on the subject.

Online ISSN: 1096-9101 Print ISSN: 0196-8092 Lasers in Surgery and Medicine

Copyright ) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

There are probably others, but you can start there and cross reference.

You will need to go to your library. While it is on line only subscribers can access the papers.

Best wishes,,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 19, 2000.

cpr, What caught my attention was the melting & solidifying of the protein molecules.Apparently the use of albumen strengthened the weld. My own interest is in the repair of parchment/vellum and leatherbooks Ms & scrolls.Albumen & gelatine are acceptable conservation materials but I am intrigued with Elmer's glue.What is it ?Can one weld cellulose ???

Thanks to Z too for that reference.Any help very welcome !!!!

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), June 19, 2000.

PS.Book & Paper Conservationists tend to like sticking things together!The problem is achieving minimal damage to the surrounding areas.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), June 19, 2000.

If Im not mistaken albumen is egg white and changes its appearance and properties with age and manipulation. To a layman like myself this would not be my first choice as the element of selection for the previously referenced applications.

-- The (fact@fan.attic), June 19, 2000.

Fan in the Closet:

If Im not mistaken albumen is egg white and changes its appearance and properties with age and manipulation. To a layman like myself this would not be my first choice as the element of selection for the previously referenced applications.

Interesting. Not long ago I did some printing [for others] from albumin based photographic glass plates that were exposed way back in the 1800's [rather early]. They were in great shape. They made wonderful prints. Sort of a history stored in eggs.

Some of these were quite large and of odd size and had to be contact printed. It was interesting to see soldiers from the mid-1800's. You get to do interesting things when you don't charge. It appears that it does last.

Best wishes,,,

-- Z1X4Y7 (Z1X4Y7@aol.com), June 19, 2000.

This was first discussed in some research labs in the mid 80's. Even before that super glue was used to close some dental wounds as a temp field applied tack to hold long enough to get the person back. Or so I heard. There was also some work I recall at U of Florida in microspheriods containing small fragments of something I don't recall off the top of my head. These threads were imersed inside a photo reactive compund and would setup when exposed to UV.

I have some notes on some of this... It is a very interesting area...

-- ditto (just.me@wherever.I.be), June 20, 2000.

Albumen Print:

A photographic print made on paper coated with eggwhite and salt solution and sensitized with silver nitrate solution. The print is made by exposure to sunlight through a negative.

This process is still a favorite with photographic craftsmen.

-- Ra (tion@l.1), June 20, 2000.

Albumen similar in structure to collagen from whence is derived gelatine.Albumen or egg white has been used for hundreds of years by artists using egg tempera paint & by bookbinders using it to "set" goldleaf.Gelatine was used by Europeans & Americans to size paper in the early days of the paper industry and high grade watercolour papers are still sized with gelatine today.

Talking of sizing agents,okra juice (cook ockra to a mush in water & strain off juice) is a really peculiar liquid and nobody knows how it works as a dispersion agent.

-- Chris (griffen@globalnet.co.uk), June 20, 2000.