https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/ahmed-hussain-shah/week-03-hw-cell-free/index.htmlPart 3A: Formulation Analysis Potassium vs. Magnesium Glutamate Dynamics Potassium glutamate supplies bulk ionic strength to maintain general protein solubility, requiring high physiological concentrations (e.g., 130–273 mM) with a wide tolerance window (Smith et al., 2026). Conversely, magnesium is a highly sensitive catalytic cofactor essential for stabilizing mRNA-tRNA-ribosome complexes; optimal concentrations are drastically lower (8–20 mM), and slight deviations rapidly induce ribosomal aggregation (Smith et al., 2026). Glutamate is preferred over acetate or chloride as it optimizes protein-nucleic acid interactions under osmotic stress.Hugoen