9452346 Snow It is proposed to acquire a Microcal MSC-ITC/DSC Solution Calorimeter System in order to enhance our capabilities to (i) teach solution thermodynamics to the undergraduate students in our physical chemistry and biochemistry laboratories, and (ii) perform undergraduate research projects requiring the use of solution calorimetry. Two experiments using the solution differential scanning calorimeter(DSC) and the isothermal titration calorimeter (ITC) are to be developed for each laboratory. For the physical chemistry laboratory, it is proposed that the solution DSC be used to measure the thermodynamic properties of a drug-biological membrane interaction, while the titration calorimeter be used to determine the partition coefficient for the partioning of a drug in a biological membrane. For the biochemistry laboratory, it is proposed that the solution DSC be used to study the effects of saturated and cis unsaturated phospholipid systems on the physical properties of biological membranes, while the titration calorimeter be used to study the effects of binding of an enzyme to a substrate analogue. The use of these instruments will expose our students to this important area of physical-biochemistry, something we are unable to do effectively with our present equipment.
