A Research-Oriented, Evolution-Based Biochemistry Laboratory

最近的科学进步有很大一部分发生在传统科学学科的界面上。 化学本科生的培养必须反映当前化学研究的跨学科性质。 考虑到这一目标，化学系已经建立了化学与生物化学重点理学学士学位。 这个学位更好地为学生在生物化学和医学的研究生工作做好准备，并为快速发展的生物技术行业提供令人兴奋的职业机会。 新学位的特点是生物化学先进的实验室，它整合了两个生物化学讲座课程中所涵盖的概念。 该实验室使用的主题是进化，并为学生提供了一个合作的研究经验。 这种新方法满足了几个教学目标，包括教授各种各样的生物化学技术，加强对生物学化学基础的欣赏，说明生命的统一性和多样性，提供研究经验，并支持开发以团队为导向的方法来调查问题。 三台离心机、一台电泳装置、蛋白质纯化设备和一台分光光度计都是新设备，为研究实验室实际使用的生化技术提供了实践经验。 该计划大大缩小了本科生教育与学术和工业实验室实际研究之间的差距。 *

A significant portion of recent scientific progress has taken place at the interface of the traditional science disciplines. It is imperative that the training of undergraduate chemistry students reflects the current interdisciplinary nature of chemical research. With this goal in mind, the Department of Chemistry has established a Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry with a biochemistry emphasis. This degree better prepares students for graduate work in biochemistry and medicine and for exciting career opportunities in the rapidly expanding biotechnology industry. The new degree features an advanced laboratory in biochemistry, which integrates the concepts covered in the two biochemistry lecture courses. The laboratory is using the theme of evolution and providing the students with a collaborative research experience. This new approach satisfies several pedagogical objectives, including teaching a wide variety of biochemical techniques, reinforcing an appreciation of the chemical basis of biology, illustrating both the unity and diversity of life, providing a research experience, and supporting the development of a team-oriented approach to investigating a problem. Three centrifuges, an electrophoresis setup, protein purification equipment, and a spectrophotometer are among the new equipment providing hands-on experiences with biochemical techniques actually used in research laboratories. The program is greatly reducing the gap between undergraduates' education and actual research done in academic and industrial laboratories. *