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#92706
Complete Question Explanation

Concept Reference, Strengthen. The correct answer choice is (B).

Here, we're being asked to strengthen the prediction that Belcher and Hu's research into peptides and semiconductors could eventually lead to a commercial application. That means we are looking for new information in the answer choice that will support the idea that the peptides they are researching could eventually be used to create nanocircuits, as discussed in the first paragraph.

Answer choice (A): Sparking renewed interest in possible DNA applications is not going to help Belcher and Hu's research become commercially applicable. Recall from the 1st paragraph that Belcher and Hu are researching peptides, as opposed to the DNA research that others are doing (lines 18-24). We need to strengthen the commercial applications of peptides, not DNA.

Answer choice (B): This is the correct answer choice. From the passage, we know that Belcher and Hu have already found a few peptides that can bind to the crystals of one of the three widely used semiconductor materials (lines 36-44). They have also expanded their targets to 20 more semiconductor materials (lines 48-55). So if it is true that almost any semiconductor material used in a computer circuit could be replaced with any other semiconductor materials and if Belcher and Hu are able to successfully create nanocircuits using even one of those semiconductor materials, then their nanocircuits will likely be able to be able to be substituted in any computer circuit, thus making their research extremely commercially applicable.

Answer choice (C): The number of peptides required to bind to two different crystals is not discussed as something that is important to a commercial application of peptide nanocircuits.

Answer choice (D): The number of peptides they tested does not strengthen the commercial applicability of their research.

Answer choice (E): The expense of their research preventing other scientists from doing similar research does not strengthen whether or not their research will eventually become commercially applicable.
 sparrrkk_
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#74384
Hi,

This question was pretty confusing to me. What does "commercial application" mean exactly? I thought of it as relating to products that can be sold?

A - This doesn't answer the question because it focuses on DNA applications. Renewed interest doesn't necessarily mean there's going to be a commerical application.

B - This would help in the process of creating smaller properly functioning transistors since we know there are some peptides that can bond to some semiconductor materials.

C - This doesn't matter.

D - This doesn't matter.

E - Is this wrong because fewer researchers considering peptide uses in nanocircuits doesn't necessarily have any implications for commerical application? Hoping for some clarification as to why this question is wrong.

Thank you so much for the help! :)
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 KelseyWoods
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#74408
Hi sparrrkk_!

Please see the Complete Question Explanation I've added above and let us know if you have any further questions!

Best,
Kelsey
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 Desperatenconfused
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#105854
I got the answer correct in a lucky guess between B and C, but I don’t understand why C is wrong-

If the # of peptides that bind to two different crystals at once appear to be smaller, and lines 56-57 says that they are designing new peptides that bind to two different crystals at once, wouldn’t their research have an incredible commercial application? Since they are solving the smaller number of available peptides that bind to 2 at once.
 Luke Haqq
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#105875
Hi desparatenconfused!

There would need to be something more for answer choice (C) to do anything (namely, strengthen) a prediction of eventual commercial application of Belcher and Hu's research.

You are right that they are designing peptides that act as a daub of glue (lines 55-57), which could have commercial applications. But (C) doesn't do anything to this claim. All it says is that there are fewer peptides that do this than cannot do this. But there might still be billions of peptides that can act as glue. There's no magnitude given other than one is smaller than the other, so in the end this doesn't strengthen a prediction of an eventual commercial application of their research.

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