Peptide | Molecules of Life

MSH

October 6, 2011 in Peptide

Wednesday, May 30th, 2007, Halifax, NS, 2nd graders blocked the sun and shouted MSH (mush), MSH, MSH … as the team of Jeff Farrell (BSc, SMU) and Valerie Walker (MFA graduate ’07, NSCADU) illuminated them about Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, the peptide responsible for suntans and freckles. Provided pictures about pigmentation, peptides and prevention of sunburn, the students discussed the advantages of animals that change their color, sunscreen and melanin, as they constructed a collage about MSH. Pouring bicarbonate into cherry juice to turn it black, and returning the juice to red with the action of lemon juice, Jeff showed that just as light can change our skin color by stimulating the production of MSH in the brain, other changes in environment, such as the effects of pH, can also cause color changes. Exposing all to some sunshine fun, Valerie enlightened us with the art of sun printing fabric paint as we made MSH-inspired bandanas. As MSH causes skin cells to use pigments called melanin for sun protection, the students cut shapes of things that block the sun (trees, umbrellas, hats, etc.), painted landscapes with the fabric paint on cloth, applied the shapes as stencils to the cloth to block the suns effects, and awaited the photochemical changes, while sharing in the fun of cleaning up. Looking forward to using their bandanas to block the sun this summer, all cherished exposure to some peptides and sunshine, learning about the body’s painter of pigmentation, Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone.

Team MSH, Jeff Farrell (BSc, SMU) and Valerie Walker (MFA graduate ’07, NSCADU) signing “M” for MSH, in front of their class made collage about Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone.

Jeff making cherry juice return to red with lemon juice, one of those acids we can eat.

Valerie enlightening students in the art of sun printing fabric paint.

A moment of MLP bliss, painting, cutting out stencils and thinking about peptides.

Wetting down the stencils on the fabric paint.

The 2nd graders interpret the curved bio-active conformation of MSH in appreciation of MLP sunshine.

Tags: Melanocyte Stimulating Hormone, MSH
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Insulin

October 6, 2011 in Peptide

MLP tastes as sweet as gingerbread cookies presenting Insulin.

Monday, the 23rd of October in Mrs Grant’s second grade class at Oxford Elementary School, thanks to Britta Fluevog (BA Sculpture, NSCAD) and Laura Foster (BSc DAL), we were guided into that tadpole-shaped yellow body behind the stomach called the “pancreas” where insulin is made. The importance of insulin in the disease diabetes was illustrated by Laura as the students guessed the symptoms portrayed by different cartoon characters indicative of high and low blood sugar. Using the power of cookie dough, Britta showed how nature turns a snake-shaped linear peptide into the ladder shape of Insulin. Everyone made and tasted yummy insulin-inspired ladder cookies as we chatted about Frederick Grant Banting, the Canadian who discovered insulin and was later awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery. With nine more peptides to go, MLP thanked team Insulin for a sweet taste of MLP creativity at Oxford.

Britta Fluevog (BA Sculpture, NSCAD) and Laura Foster (BSc DAL), presenting the effects of high and low blood sugar.

Insulin-inspired Ladder Cookies

Finding the Pancreas

Thumbs-up for Insulin-Inspired Ladder Cookies and MLP!

Tags: Insulin
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GHRH

October 6, 2011 in Peptide

Friday, May 4th, 2007, Halifax, NS, 2nd graders pondered growth as the team of Meghan Serratore (BFA graduate ’07, NSCADU) and Carrie-Lee Trider (BSc, SMU) introduced the peptide Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone (GHRH), which they explained causes growth. To put us all in the mood, Meghan read the story of “Jack and the bean stalk” in which Jack eats one of the magic beans and becomes himself a giant, because the bean contained GHRH. Jack experienced an increase in his growth hormone levels, which caused the tissues of his body to build up and grow in size. Stimulation of the division and multiplication of his chondrocytes, cells responsible for long bone elongation, caused Jack to grow to giant size such that the giant and he become friends and his family and the giant’s settled down together and lived happily ever after. Discussing the factors that control growth in plants and animals, the students knew about the importance of water, sunlight and nutrition for healthy growth. Comparing the sizes of the tallest and shortest students with the heights of their parents, they recognized the effect on size of the genes that they inherit. Carrie-Lee seeded a discussion on crystal growth as she saturated a hot solution with salt and left it to stand with a nail suspended in the vessel; something to see what happens on Monday. Moreover, the students made accordion folded books, which grow as one opens the pages and provide a journal to mark their growth from this wonderful Molecules of Life Project on GHRH.

Finishing our fourth MLP presentation in 2007, (11th total!!), team GHRH was thanked for keeping the MLP experience growing, and growing, and growing in 2nd grade in Halifax.

Team GHRH, Meghan Serratore (BFA graduate ’07, NSCADU) and Carrie-Lee Trider (BSc, SMU) in front of their poster on Growth Hormone Releasing Hormone

Crystal growth hidden among plant growth.

the joy of folding accordion journals.

and gluing on the covers