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Monday, October 08, 2007

Monday's Molecule #46

Today's molecule is actually three molecules. You have to identify each one precisely by giving the complete IUPAC names.

There's an indirect direct connection between the reaction shown above and Wednesday's Nobel Laureate(s). See if you can guess the Nobel Laureate. This one is not easy.

The reward goes to the person who correctly identifies the molecules and the Nobel Laureate(s). Previous free lunch winners are ineligible for one month from the time they first collected the prize. There are two ineligible candidates for this Wednesday's reward. The prize is a free lunch at the Faculty Club.

Send your guess to Sandwalk (sandwalk(at)bioinfo.med.utoronto.ca) and I'll pick the first email message that correctly identifies the molecule and the Nobel Laureate(s). Correct responses will be posted tomorrow along with the time that the message was received on my server. This way I may select multiple winners if several people get it right.

Comments will be blocked for 24 hours. Comments are now open.


Note: The reaction shown above may not be entirely accurate. If you can identify a way to improve it you can double your prize to two free lunches anywhere within two blocks of the downtown campus!

2 comments :

Larry Moran said...

We don't have a winner. Several people were able to identify the molecules but unable to guess the Nobel Laureate. The clue is in the acid hydrolysis. This is not an enzyme reaction.

Why would anyone want to study this reaction as a example of an acid catalyzed reaction?

Alex said...

(2R,3R,4S,5R,6R)-2-[(2S,3S,4R,5R)-3,4-dihydroxy-2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)
oxolan-2-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-3,4,5-triol is hydrolysed into (3R,4S,5R,6R)-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxane-2,3,4,5-tetrol and 2,5-bis(hydroxymethyl)oxolane-2,3,4-triol.

So all this talk about acid reminded me of chymotrypsin, thus Northrop and Stanley?