Investigating Biochemical Structure/Function Relationships in an Undergraduate Biochemistry Course

这一建议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。认识到实践经验在使男女学生积极参与自己的教育方面的价值，该项目的目标有三个：通过创新的实验室和课堂作业让学生体验生物分子的结构功能关系，让学生接触到现代生化实验室设备和技术，以便更好地为研究生工作做准备，并为学生提供扎实的生物化学实验知识。具体来说，将围绕基于结构的学习活动设计一个交互式生物化学实验室，最终将导致对生化功能的理解。每组实验将模拟一个研究环境，在这个环境中，实验可能需要数周时间才能完全发展。在完成一个章节后，学生将被要求以生物化学期刊的形式写一篇论文。第一部分将利用生物化学的基本技术对一种酶的超表达、纯化和部分特性进行研究。下一节将探索更复杂的蛋白质结构功能关系。学生将接触到高科技的紫外可见光谱仪，以收集初级动力学数据，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。最后一节将集中讨论核酸的结构和功能关系。尽管这项建议并不针对女性或少数族裔，但一些研究表明，在现实环境中的亲身经历有助于留住女性参加科学项目。由于生物化学是化学专业学生中最受欢迎的一门选修课，而且对预科学生来说也变得越来越有必要，这门课程的修订将会影响到更多的学生。

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.