To bind or not to bind: diagnosing false positives for 1:1 binding to G-Protein

Binding studies are ubiquitous in chemistry, but their extensive usefulness is undermined by false positive and false negative results. Centering on the G-protein mini-Gs, we present a thorough study with both simulated and experimental spectrophotometric titration data to diagnose the validity of both binding and non-binding models. Without the use of statistical tests like the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC) and data reconstruction fractions, spurious binding models may go undetected. Furthermore, if the signal change upon binding is too minute, false negatives can also result. Delineating such issues is paramount to effective science.