16. Protein concentration
Format and content. The reason I am using his data is due to time limited in class also had other lecture for this reason you will be using his data
A formal, structured scientific report is required, which must comprise the following sections:
Introduction
Keep this section brief but include clear, succinct aims.
Materials and Methods
You were provided with the technical bulletin of the commercial kit used in class (the link to which is available on the Moodle site). Please do not simply paraphrase or copy and paste the text (in whole or in part) into your report. Rather, explain the rationale for using the kit and describe the principles of the method. However, do comment on any deviations from the manufacturer’s protocol and provide an explanation(s) where necessary. You may include the technical bulletin provided in class as an appendix if you wish.
Results and Discussion
Present your protein concentration and optical density (OD) data clearly in a table. Draw a standard curve showing the relationship between protein concentration (horizontal axis) and optical density (vertical axis). You may use the example data shown in Table 1 below to generate a standard curve. If you choose to do so you must clearly indicate why you decided not to use your own data. Please note that all tables and figures must be numbered in order of appearance, have a short, descriptive title and be referred to in the main text. It should not be necessary for the reader to refer to the text to understand the content of tables / figures (i.e. they should be standalone). Present the OD750 of the quality control (QC; protein concentration = 600 µg/ml) and use it to validate the standard curve. Compare observed and expected values. Present the OD750 of the milk sample and convert it to protein concentration using the standard curve (remember the dilution factor). Discuss the importance of quality controls and give?two reasons why it is important to measure protein concentration in foods. Remember to discuss your findings in relation to your stated aims and in the light of published work, which must be cited correctly in the text and listed in the References section (see below and the General Handbook for further details).
References
Use textbooks and (preferably) peer-reviewed journal articles describing primary research as sources. Avoid using even reputable websites (e.g. Wikipedia) unless they are administered by recognised professional organisations and the information cited is not available in a formal publication. The Harvard system must be used (see the General Handbook for examples). All sources cited in the body of the text must appear in the References section and vice versa (it should not be a bibliography).
Word count: 1000 maximum (excluding references and appendices).
Table 1. ?Example calibration data
Protein concentration (µg/ml)
OD750
Test tube (bijou)
0.0
1
250
0.28
2
500
0.53
3
750
0.74
4
1000
0.96
5