CHEM 359 : Project-Based Laboratory: Biochemical Characterization of Enzymes

This project-based, laboratory-intensive course will focus on primary literature, experimental design and techniques, data collection and analysis, and science communication in the context of biochemistry. Students will express, purify, detect, quantify, and perform kinetic assays of recombinant enzyme variants identified in cancer patients to determine their mechanism of action and how they are inhibited. Students will gain practice using a sonicator/homogenizer, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, column chromatography, UV-Vis spectrophotometry, immunoblotter, etc. In designing experiments, students will be asked to consider the context in which their research takes place, inclusive of the patients, the communities they belong, and how their research will affect patient lives as well as the community of practice.