Oxygen–hemoglobin dissociation curve the fluid that surrounds it. Hemoglobin (Hb) is the primary vehicle for transporting oxygen in the blood. Oxygen is also carried dissolved in the blood's plasma, but to a much lesser degree. Hemoglobin is contained in red blood cells. Under certain conditions, oxygen bound to the hemoglobin is released into the blood's plasma and absorbed into the tissues. Each hemoglobin molecule has the capacity to carry four oxygen molecules. These molecules of oxygen bind to the iron of the Heme group. The binding of the first oxygen molecule induces a conformational change of hemoglobin that increases the affinity for the
Genetically engineered blood Genetically engineered blood Genetically engineered blood is blood that has been modified for therapeutic or other purposes. Genetically modifying red blood stem cells allows them to produce specific therapeutic proteins on the surface or inside the cell. The stem cells are taken from mammalian bone marrow and are modified in culture. Before they become mature, mammalian red blood cells eject their genetic material. Culturing cells that produce a new protein of interest requires only a few weeks. Using the sortagging protein labeling technique, the researchers used the bacterial enzyme sortase A to establish a strong chemical bond between the surface