How Do You Spell COOMASSIE?

Pronunciation: [kˈuːmasi] (IPA)

The spelling of "coomassie" may cause confusion for some due to its unusual phonetic transcription. In IPA, it is pronounced as /kuːˈmæsi/ and is commonly used to refer to a blue dye used in laboratory experiments. The word originally comes from the Hausa language in West Africa, where it is spelled as "kumashe." Despite its irregular spelling, "coomassie" has become a standard term in the scientific community and is recognizable to those familiar with laboratory techniques.

COOMASSIE Meaning and Definition

1. Coomassie, also known as Coomassie Brilliant Blue, is a synthetic dye used primarily in biological research and analysis. It belongs to the class of triphenylmethane dyes and is commonly used to stain proteins in agarose or polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis.

   Coomassie dye has a deep blue color and easily binds to proteins, allowing for the visualization and quantification of proteins in a gel. It interacts with amino acid residues in the protein, predominantly with the basic residues, producing a shift in its absorption spectrum, resulting in a color change.

   The staining process typically involves immersing the gel in a Coomassie staining solution, which is usually a mixture of the dye with acid and organic solvents. The gel is then destained to remove excess dye and enhance the visibility of the stained protein bands.

   Coomassie staining is widely used in protein analysis techniques, such as SDS-PAGE (sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis) and 2D gel electrophoresis. It enables researchers to visualize the separation and molecular weight of proteins in a gel, aiding in the identification and characterization of proteins of interest.

   In addition to its use in protein analysis, Coomassie dye is also used in the food industry as a food colorant, as well as in various histological staining methods to visualize tissues in medical research.

Etymology of COOMASSIE

The word "coomassie" has its origins in the Hausa language, which is primarily spoken in West Africa. In Hausa, the word "kòmásé" refers to a dark reddish-brown color. This term was later adopted by English speakers and modified to "coomassie" as the name for a specific dye. The dye, known as "Coomassie Brilliant Blue", was discovered in the late 19th century and named after the town of Kano, located in present-day Nigeria, where it was first manufactured on a large scale. Over time, the name "coomassie" became associated with this particular dye, and it is now often used as a general term to describe similar dyes of the same shade.