Capillary Electrophoresis in the Undergraduate Curriculum

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Through this project, the university is incorporating in its curriculum practical work based on capillary electrophoresis (CE), thus enabling students to gain proficiency in this recently developed technique. CE is destined to become an indispensable analytical separations method because of its unrivaled efficiency. The acquisition of this equipment significantly upgrades the undergraduate chemistry and biochemistry laboratory programs for B.S. chemistry and biochemistry majors and B.A. chemistry majors. The experiments included in the analytical chemistry course illustrate the complementary nature of CE to HPLC by demonstrating its utility where liquid chromatography fails. The experiments included in the biochemistry laboratory courses illustrate the utility of CE in the area of protein analysis and protein-ligand binding. An automated unit permits students to develop awareness of the greatly increased workload achievable with a state-of-the-art instrument. It also compels students to revise their notions concerning the planning and design of experiments in order to exploit fully the productive capacity of a computer-controlled instrument. These curricular changes enable the university to maintain its excellent record of training undergraduates, particularly minorities and women, for research careers in the chemical and biological sciences.