Messing around with the LDD method

Prometheus · 2005-05-22T12:24:13+00:00

Hello all,I decided to try out the LDD method, and while the jury's still out onthe final result, I did a little research to try and figure out justhow and why it might work.A quick Google search turned up several high school scienceexperiments that used LDD in a 20:1 to 10:1 (Water:LDD) solution tobreak the cell membranes of both human cheek cells and onion cells.PBS's NOVA referred to this as "lysing" in their explaination of theexperiment. The broken cells released their contents into the solutionso that the DNA could be extracted and spooled for genetic typing.Further searching showed that there is a single chemical that can beused for the same purpose, which I would expect is one of theingredients of LDD- Sodium Laurylsulfate( C12H25NaO4S )AKA: n-Dodecylsulfate Sodium SaltCAS no: 151-21-3Since the experiment in question worked with both onions and cheekcells, it is fairly likely that this salt is able to break open notonly animal cells with a fatty membrane, but the sturdier plant cellwalls as well. Once the walls are split, the contents are releasedand the water can be pulled out of the wood (somehow, that's how- I'ma steelworker, not a chemist!)Like I said above, I tried the LDD method, but I really did not enjoythe sloppy slurry that came off the piece for the first several cuts.I'm going to blame that on the glycerine in the soap, just for theheck of it. If this is the chemical that does the job of preventingwet wood from cracking, it may be a good deal cleaner and lessexpensive than buying large containers of dishwashing detergent. Ifanyone feels inclined to experiment with it a bit, there are a fewquestions that obviously need to be answered. First, does it work at all with the Sodium Laurylsulfate, and if so,at what solution? It's a safe bet that if this is indeed aningredient in LDD (I couldn't find an ingredient list on the bottle)it is severely diluted in the final solution, so a lot less than a50/50 mixture should be needed. The DNA...

May 22, 2005 69 Replies

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Dan Bollinger 21 years ago

Actually, it is enough of an observation to form a hypothesis.

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Dan Bollinger 21 years ago

LOL! Hey, why not? It would look good in a photograph and I expect I could charge more for my work, too! :)

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Leif Thorvaldson 21 years ago

===>Whose length is, as everyone knows, equal to the sum of the squares of two sides of a theoretically correct triangle. That sum, divided by 2 yields the correct length of the hypothesis. I think you guys are on to something here!!!*G*

Leif

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Dan Bollinger 21 years ago

What do you mean, "'us guys?" YOU started this! ;)

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mac davis 21 years ago

I have a feeling that I might wish I had one.. I'm going to try finish turning a bowl tonight that I roughed out last night and soaked in my first LDD experiment... hope it just throws soap around, not blows giant bubbles.. roflmao

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

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Leif Thorvaldson 21 years ago

====> Now wait just a cottonpickin' minute! I had been sitting quietly at my computer minding my own business (having been cowed previously by the reactionaries) when that darned Prometheus guy reignited the whole issue (slight play on words there for the cognoscenti of Greek mythology). *G*

Leif

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Dan Bollinger 21 years ago

Well, OK, then. Let's agree to blame it on HIM! :) Dan

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Prometheus 21 years ago

Well, I just hate to see a guy cowed. :)

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Prometheus 21 years ago

Hey wait, that sounds kinda familiar- next you'll be grabbing for the adamantine chains... And then people wonder why I don't put my e-mail address in my sig line! :p

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Dan Bollinger 21 years ago

Speaking of which, please email me, Dan

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