Investigating Biochemical Structure/Function Relationships in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Course

该方案旨在利用结构功能关系领域的最新进展，将生物化学实验室转变为一个动态的互动学习环境。认识到让男女学生积极参与自己的教育的实践经验的价值，这个项目的目标有三个：通过创新实验和课堂作业，使学生体验生物分子的结构功能关系，使学生接触现代生化实验设备和技术，为学生更好地进行研究生学习做准备，并为学生提供扎实的生物化学实验知识。具体来说，一个互动的生物化学实验室将围绕基于结构的学习活动来设计，最终将导致对生物化学功能的理解。每组实验将模拟一个研究环境，实验可能需要数周时间才能完全展开。在完成一个部分后，学生将被要求以生物化学期刊的格式写一篇论文。第一部分将着重于利用生物化学基本技术对酶进行过表达、纯化和部分表征。下一节将探讨更复杂的蛋白质结构和功能关系。学生们将接触到高科技紫外-可见分光光度计，以收集主要的动力学数据，并与他们将使用两个硅图形工作站收集的概念数据进行比较。最后一节将重点讨论核酸的结构功能关系。虽然这项提议不是针对女性或少数族裔，但许多研究表明，在现实环境中的实践经验有助于保留女性在科学项目中的地位。由于生物化学是化学专业学生中最受欢迎的选修课，并且对于专业预科学生来说越来越必要，因此本课程的修订将影响到广泛的学生。

This proposal seeks to transform the biochemistry laboratory into a dynamic interactive learning environment utilizing the recent advances in the area of structure function relationships. Recognizing the value of hands-on experiences in making women and male students active participants in their own education, the goal of this project is threefold: to have students experience the structural function relationship of biomolecules through innovative laboratories and class work, to expose students to modem biochemical laboratory equipment and technology in order to better prepare the info post-graduate endeavors, and to provide the students with a well-founded knowledge of experimentation in biochemistry. Specifically, an interactive biochemistry laboratory will be designed around structure based learning activities that will ultimately lead to an understanding of biochemical function. Each group of experiments will be mimic a research setting in which the experiments may take many weeks to fully develop. Upon completion of a section, the students will be required to write a paper in the format of a biochemical journal. The first section will focus on over expression, purification and partial characterization of an enzyme utilizing fundamental techniques in biochemistry. The next section will explore more sophisticated structure function relationships of proteins. Students will be exposed to a high technology UV-Visible spectrophotorneter to gather primary kinetic data to be compared to the conceptual data they will gather using two Silicon Graphic workstations. The final section will focus on the structure function relationship of nucleic acids. Though this proposal is not targeting women or minorities, a number of studies have suggested that hands on experiences in a realistic setting have aided in the retention of women in science programs. Since biochemistry is the most popular elective among chemistry students, and is becoming more necessary for pre-professional students, revisions of this course will influence a broad variety of students.