Biological Chemistry Laboratory

4 units

CHEM 4851 is an advanced laboratory course emphasizing the application of chemical methods to study biological problems of metabolism and enzyme function. This laboratory is structured as a course-based undergraduate research experience that begins with a series of “training experiments” to familiarize students with methods and instrumentation (UV/Vis & fluorescence spectroscopies, electrochemistry, qPCR, site-directed mutagenesis). Once trained in these techniques, pairs of students will use this set of experimental tools as a basis to follow their own independent hypothesis-driven line of biochemical investigation along one of two thematic pathways: cellular metabolic adaptation or structure/function relationships of flavoenzymes.