ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Biotinylation

Biotinylation is like putting a special sticker, called biotin, on something so that we can track it better. Think about how you might put a sticker on your toy to know which one it is. That's what scientists do with biotin.

In science, biotin is kind of like a flag or a marker that can be easily detected, sort of like a superhero marker that helps us find and keep track of the things we're interested in. Scientists use biotinylation to make it easier to find certain molecules in cells or to study how cells interact with each other.

The process of biotinylation involves attaching biotin to a molecule or protein of interest. This is usually done through a chemical reaction that creates a bond between the biotin and the molecule. Once the biotin is attached, it can be easily detected using special tools that look specifically for biotin.

For example, if scientists want to understand how a particular protein behaves in a cell, they might biotinylate that protein by attaching biotin to it. Then they can use a tool that recognizes biotin to find where that protein is in the cell and how it's moving around. This helps scientists understand how different proteins interact inside cells, which can be really important for understanding how diseases work or for finding new treatments.

So, in simple words, biotinylation is like putting a special sticker called biotin on a molecule or protein that we want to track or study. It helps scientists understand how things work in cells and find new treatments for diseases.