New Globin Paralog

Scientists working at the Zunami Research Center in Olympia Washington have discovered a new globin gene in humans that they have named Cluster Water. The researchers say,

"Cluster or free water is able to move freely through the cell walls and is instrumental to transport nutrients, remove waste, and maintain proper communication between the cells."

In a move of absolute understatement, the researchers include their findings of cell walls in humans (the first such description of these structures in animal cells) as an aside.

This new globin paralog is an extreme generalist, as globin genes go -- able to transport almost anything in its tiny active site. It resembles water in structure, but "has been raised to a high level of electromagnetic power," differentiating it from your typical H2O.

There is some evidence for variable activity of cluster water in different human populations, and the researchers plan to undertake a follow-up study of polymorphisms at the cluster-water-globin locus.

[END SARCASM]

Thanks to Pharyngula for the link.

P.S. This is called taking and idea and running with it . . . way too far . . . like, off a cliff or something.