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Yet another silly molecule name
Orcus Started conversation Mar 24, 2009
Just seen this.
http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/v5/n3/abs/nchembio.142.html
So to top the ultimate silly name amongst molecules - sonic hedgehog protein - they have found a small molecule inhibitor of it...
and they've called it...
robotnikinin
(I like it really - it shows we're human sometimes)
Yet another silly molecule name
IctoanAWEWawi Posted Mar 24, 2009
wasn't there some sort of process going through them and renaming them sensibly?
Or was that fruit flies?
Yet another silly molecule name
Vip Posted Mar 24, 2009
Oh! But that would be boring! I don't mind silly names for things; so few people will actually use them anyway in such specialised areas.
Yet another silly molecule name
2legs - Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side... Posted Mar 24, 2009
At least there a bit easier to remember when thy've got actual* names.
Most of my writing in immunology seemed to involving sentences like:
Binding of CD45 to the R-arm of the CD125 ligand causes conformation changes rendered to the S-shaped proteins of the G0-coupled receptor, resultant C.AMP activation causing changes in introcellular proteins such as ZX1PQRs and the GHRP-1 Family of C.ATPase inhibitory proteins. 
Of course with such memorable names as them I've quite forgotten most 
Though I did spend a lot of time looking at TNF-alpha and TNFRs and TRAF-proteins
Yet another silly molecule name
Orcus Posted Mar 24, 2009
Ah but being a chemist I tend to immediately leap upon....
But *what* is the structure of cAMP?
Clearly they sensibilising of these names has yet to gain momentum. And slow may it remain.
My true personal favourite is actually tiggywinkly hedgehog 
Maybe they could call an inhibitor of it Squirrelnutkinin
Yet another silly molecule name
IctoanAWEWawi Posted Mar 24, 2009
I suspect the fear is that it indicates you lot are having altogether too much fun in your labs and not taking it all seriously which scares the locals who don't understand what it is you do anyway.
Are there any with nice doom laden names that do nasty things?
Yet another silly molecule name
BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows Posted Mar 24, 2009
... and to think there was a BBC TV News item this morning bemoaning the use of jargon.
Yet another silly molecule name
Orcus Posted Mar 24, 2009
>Are there any with nice doom laden names that do nasty things?<
Not really sure but there is a class of molecules called the Arsoles 
Chemistry seems to be doom laden enough with the general public without adding to it.
Yet another silly molecule name
BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows Posted Mar 24, 2009
Ref arsoles, presumably you recall FM's fabulous Entry at A10176987
Yet another silly molecule name
Orcus Posted Mar 25, 2009
Yes but I have known of them since my A level teacher regaled us with them many moons ago.
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Yet another silly molecule name
- 1: Orcus (Mar 24, 2009)
- 2: IctoanAWEWawi (Mar 24, 2009)
- 3: Vip (Mar 24, 2009)
- 4: 2legs - Hey, babe, take a walk on the wild side... (Mar 24, 2009)
- 5: Orcus (Mar 24, 2009)
- 6: IctoanAWEWawi (Mar 24, 2009)
- 7: BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows (Mar 24, 2009)
- 8: Orcus (Mar 24, 2009)
- 9: BigAl Patron Saint of Left Handers Keeper of the Glowing Pickle and Monobrows (Mar 24, 2009)
- 10: Orcus (Mar 25, 2009)
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