Paul Kline

pkline@mtsu.edu

Dr. Earl Pearson

Chemistry

N/A

Davis Science 208

New Technology

N/A

Biochemistry is one of the fastest growing areas of chemistry. This is reflected in the recent inclusion by the American Chemical Society of a biochemistry requirement in the ACS certified chemistry degree. The Department of Chemistry offers a number of biochemistry courses including Principles of Biochemistry (CHEM 325) and Biochemistry I and II (CHEM 425 and 435). Principles of Biochemistry (CHEM 325) is one of the most popular upper division chemistry courses. It is taught every semester including the summer semester. The average enrollment of CHEM 325 is 110 students per year. Students from a number of disciplines including Biology, Chemistry, Nutrition and Food Science, and Agribusiness and Agriscience take the course. An integral part of CHEM 325 is the accompanying laboratory. In the laboratory, students are expected to master basic biochemical techniques such as measurement of enzyme activity, characterization of lipids, and analysis of DNA. Activities in the laboratory require the student to collect data using spectrophotometers, manipulate small volumes of liquids (5 uL - 1000 uL), and analyze molecules isolated from various sources. Because of the popularity of the course, it is not unusual to have 28-32 students in a laboratory section. Due to the limited amount of equipment available in the laboratory, groups of 4-5 students routinely work with one piece of equipment which significantly detracts from the learning experience in the laboratory. This proposal is designed to provide sufficient equipment in the laboratory to insure that no group is larger than 3 students.