Calorimetry and Capillary Electrophoresis in the Undergraduate Teaching Laboratory

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The Chemistry and Biochemistry programs are aggressively restructuring the undergraduate curricula. The motivation for these curricular changes stems from the commitment to challenge students at an earlier stage in their development, reduce repetition and prepare them better for the demands associated with independent research (which is a graduation requirement for all majors). The best way for students to learn science is through engagement in well-designed, hands-on, investigative laboratory experiences that expose them to the excitement of research and ignite their interest in science. The investigative laboratories utilize capillary electrophoresis (CE) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) in order to provide these opportunities at an early stage to the students. The laboratories adapt gains from NSF funded projects dealing with ITC (NSF-DUE 9850820, NSF- DUE 9851231 and NSF-DUE 9452346). The incorporation of these exciting new technologies into the undergraduate teaching labs enables a significant expansion of the experiences offered by allowing students to collect physical and analytical data rapidly and with great precision. These exercises better prepare students for the independent research experience by repeated exposure to modern methodologies and instrumentation, analytical skills and hypothesis testing. The instrumentation is introduced in the context of biological, organic and physical chemistry, as well as cell biology. Additionally, the instrumentation supports student thesis research and independent study projects.