https://pages.htgaa.org/2026b/tania-araceli-barreda-galvez/week-03-hw-cell-free/index.htmlA. Compare cell-free reaction compositions 1. Why does the concentration of potassium glutamate and magnesium glutamate differ between compositions? Which is more sensitive? The concentrations of potassium glutamate and magnesium glutamate differ between formulations because cell-free protein synthesis (CFPS) performance depends on the overall chemical environment, so the reagent concentrations have to be optimized together rather than one at a time. The glutamate is only the counter-ion; what matters is the K⁺ and Mg²⁺ it delivers. K⁺ mainly sets the ionic strength of the reaction, while Mg²⁺ stabilizes the ribosome and is required for ATP and other nucleotide triphosphates to be usable by the enzymes. Because NTPs, ATP and the inorganic phosphate released from PEP all bind Mg²⁺, a formulation with a different energy and nucleotide system needs a different total amount of Mg²⁺ to keep the right amount free. The lysate and the fixed base buffer also contribute their own ions.Hugoen