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Scientists have figured out how to unboil an egg.
It may seem like a mere parlor trick, but it is an achievement that could "dramatically" cut costs for cancer treatments, food production and other research in the $160 billion global biotechnology industry, according to a press release that was posted online Friday.
It also means "unboil" is now a word.
As anyone who has ever cooked one knows, egg "whites" are clear until they are cooked. Egg whites are high in protein, and when they cook, the proteins start to unfold, and then fold back up in a tighter, more tangled structure. This is why they go from being clear and mucus-like to white and rubbery.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and Flinders University in Australia have figured out a process that can pull apart the tangled proteins allowing them to refold and return to their original structure.
It may seem like a mere parlor trick, but it is an achievement that could "dramatically" cut costs for cancer treatments, food production and other research in the $160 billion global biotechnology industry, according to a press release that was posted online Friday.
It also means "unboil" is now a word.
As anyone who has ever cooked one knows, egg "whites" are clear until they are cooked. Egg whites are high in protein, and when they cook, the proteins start to unfold, and then fold back up in a tighter, more tangled structure. This is why they go from being clear and mucus-like to white and rubbery.
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine, and Flinders University in Australia have figured out a process that can pull apart the tangled proteins allowing them to refold and return to their original structure.
Scientists unboil an egg, and it may be a big deal
The ability to unfold a protein and return it to its original state could save a lot of money in everything from cancer research to food production.
www.cnbc.com
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