Integrating Laser Spectroscopic Studies in Biophysical Chemistry into Advanced Undergraduate Laboratory Courses

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The department is constructing a time-resolved fluorescence spectrophotometer for use in advanced undergraduate laboratory courses. The main activities of the project are (1) enhancing and modernizing the spectroscopy component in advanced undergraduate laboratories by the introduction of lasers; (2) using fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to expose students to current research interests in biophysical chemistry; (3) collecting data to reinforce chemical principles introduced in the courses; and (4) providing students with training in techniques for both the physical-chemical characterization and dynamical study of biomolecules. The chosen set of experiments uses time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopic techniques for data collection and exposes students to research on antibodies, nucleic acids, and heme proteins, and to the dynamical processes occurring in biomolecules. The experiments also introduce the fundamentals of fluorescence spectroscopy as well as exposing students to modern techniques in pulsed laser spectroscopy.