Post your answer in the comments. I'll hold off releasing any comments for 24 hours. The first one with the correct answer wins. I will only post mostly correct answers to avoid embarrassment. The winner will be treated to a free lunch.
There could be two winners. If the first correct answer isn't from an undergraduate student then I'll select a second winner from those undergraduates who post the correct answer. You will need to identify yourself as an undergraduate in order to win. (Put "undergraduate" at the bottom of your comment.)
Some past winners are from distant lands so their chances of taking up my offer of a free lunch are slim. (That's why I can afford to do this!)
In order to win you must post your correct name. Anonymous and pseudoanonymous commenters can't win the free lunch.
Winners will have to contact me by email to arrange a lunch date.
UPDATE: The molecule is D-serine and the winner is undergraduate Matt McFarlane. Matt, appears to live in lotusland so I'm guessing he won't be able to make it for lunch.
Winners
Nov. 2009: Jason Oakley, Alex Ling
Oct. 17: Bill Chaney, Roger Fan
Oct. 24: DK
Oct. 31: Joseph C. Somody
Nov. 7: Jason Oakley
Nov. 15: Thomas Ferraro, Vipulan Vigneswaran
Nov. 21: Vipulan Vigneswaran (honorary mention to Raul A. Félix de Sousa)
Nov. 28: Philip Rodger
Dec. 5: 凌嘉誠 (Alex Ling)
Dec. 12: Bill Chaney
Dec. 19: Joseph C. Somody
Jan. 9: Dima Klenchin
Jan. 23: David Schuller
Jan. 30: Peter Monaghan
Feb. 7: Thomas Ferraro, Charles Motraghi
Feb. 13: Joseph C. Somody
March 5: Albi Celaj
March 12: Bill Chaney, Raul A. Félix de Sousa
March 19: no winner
March 26: John Runnels, Raul A. Félix de Sousa
April 2: Sean Ridout
April 9: no winner
April 16: Raul A. Félix de Sousa
April 23: Dima Klenchin, Deena Allan
April 30: Sean Ridout
D-Serine
ReplyDeleteMatt McFarlane
Undergraduate
The molecule is D-serine.
ReplyDeleteUofT Undergraduate
Molecule # 169 is D-Serine, or D-2-Amino-3-hydroxypropanoic acid, shown here in its zwitterionic form.
ReplyDeleteSerine, and if it's not in living beings it's D-serine.
ReplyDeleteD-Serine
ReplyDeleteThis will be dextro serine (D-serine), not to be confused with levo serine (L-serine) which IS found in living organisms.
ReplyDeleteThe molecule is quite simple and it isn't found in living organisms although a very similar molecule is quite abundant.
ReplyDeleteThat's just wrong. D-serine, like many other D-amino acids, is not abundant but is found in many living organisms. Bacteria, insects, mammals - you name it.