Instrumental Electrophoresis and Chromatography in Bioanalytical Chemistry

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The newly reorganized Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute proposes to introduce Instrumental Electrophoresis and Chromatography in Bioanalytical Chemistry by converting a very traditional wet analytical chemistry laboratory course into a largely instrumental modern bioanalytical course. Students will be exposed to protein, nucleic acid, metabolite, and drug analysis and separation using rapid instrumental means with highly sensitive and discriminating detectors viz. capillary electrophoresis and high performance liquid chromatography, both with diode array detectors. Through use of experiments such as the identification and isolation of isozymes, the products of enzyme cleavage of proteins and genes, and the chemical modification of membrane proteins, students will be exposed to a variety of specific methodologies. A "capstone" experiment in which the student team must choose and justify the "most appropriate" approach to an analysis will test their understanding of principles. Professional reports on the specific experiments developed, and dissemination of an Instrumental Chromatography laboratory manual should aid other schools in introducing such methods, particularly capillary electrophoresis where the literature on undergraduate usage, while growing, is still sparse. These changes are aimed first at the Biochemistry majors for which the Department was given authority in September 1995, and at those Chemistry majors pursuing the recently introduced Medicinal Chemistry option. However, all Chemistry majors should benefit from the changes. Generally, the revised course will be taken in the second year, with the equipment being used in required research project work in the third and/or fourth years.