Kendrew's 1962 #Nobel lecture is a great read for insight into the history of #structuralbiology, including the massive experimental effort to eke out the structure of #myoglobin. This required calculating Fourier transforms of thousands of reflexions, requiring the latest (at the time) #supercomputers like the first EDSAC digital computer and #IBM 7090

https://www.nobelprize.org/uploads/2018/06/kendrew-lecture.pdf

#physics #crystallography #xray #scientificcomputing #hpc

When wood burns, it produces nitrogen dioxide, which is absorbed by the surface of the meat. This nitrogen dioxide reacts with the myoglobin (a protein found in muscle tissue) to form a stable pink compound called nitrosyl hemochrome. This reaction not only contributes to the pink smoke ring often seen just beneath the surface of smoked meats but also enhances the flavor by adding a distinctive smoky taste.

#science #sciencefacts #bbq #nitrogendioxide #myoglobin #nitrosylhemochrome

"The firm has obtained fragments of #DNA from #mammoth teeth found in the Siberian #permafrost that are up to 1.2m years old. These fragments were combined with DNA from Asian and African #elephants, the mammoth’s nearest living relatives, to reconstruct what the firm hopes is the mammoth version of the gene that encodes #myoglobin, a protein that helps give meat its rich taste and vibrant red colour."

A Belgian company wants to create woolly-mammoth #burgers
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2023/07/05/a-belgian-company-wants-to-create-woolly-mammoth-burgers

I have my doubts about the wisdom of doing this 🤔

[CW: article has a woolly mammoth replica pic]
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#Paleo, a Belgian startup, has added #WoollyMammoth protein to a plant-based burger using precise fermentation technology. The mammoth #myoglobin gave the burger a more intense taste and aroma, and a richer color than with cow. However, the startup faces challenges in finding customers for its #MammothProtein, as it is a B2B product and mammoth is not widely consumed.

https://www.businessinsider.com/mammoth-dna-veggie-burgers-taste-intense-meatier-cultured-meat-2023-4

The red liquid that leeches out of cooked steak is not blood but another protein - myoglobin - and water.

#food #foodfacts #delexicon #steak #myoglobin