Ku are proteins which bind to double stranded ends of double strand breaks. The proteins are conserved in all domains of life, and are an essential part of the Non-Homologous joining of DNA ends. The protein is called Ku, because it was discovered in a patient who's last name was Ku. There are a number of names in science that are derived in this fashion. For instance a popular cancer cell line used in research is HeLa, it is a cervical cancer cell line and was taken from HEnrietta LAcks (I believe it was actually taken with out her consent, as sad as that is).
Thanks.
We used 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' as the campus-wide read a few years ago (it's great). The irony is that her cells were essentially medical waste from a tumor that Johns Hopkins removed for free, because she was participating in experimental treatments. At that time there was no thought given to the possibility that cells themselves could be intellectual property.
Ku are proteins which bind to double stranded ends of double strand breaks. The proteins are conserved in all domains of life, and are an essential part of the Non-Homologous joining of DNA ends. The protein is called Ku, because it was discovered in a patient who's last name was Ku. There are a number of names in science that are derived in this fashion. For instance a popular cancer cell line used in research is HeLa, it is a cervical cancer cell line and was taken from HEnrietta LAcks (I believe it was actually taken with out her consent, as sad as that is).
Thanks.
We used 'The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks' as the campus-wide read a few years ago (it's great). The irony is that her cells were essentially medical waste from a tumor that Johns Hopkins removed for free, because she was participating in experimental treatments. At that time there was no thought given to the possibility that cells themselves could be intellectual property.