The Chemistry and Biology faculty are dedicated to the continued development of an undergraduate laboratory curriculum that enables our students to be successfully trained in the current methodologies necessary to compete within the contemporary scientific community. Thus, we are evaluating a mini-research project approach in upper-level biology, biochemistry and chemistry laboratories which will allow students to develop their own problem-solving skills with the proper supervision necessary to ensure that they are exposed to a wide variety of research and instrumental approaches. Through the acquisition of a personal densitometer new experiences will be introduced into our undergraduate biochemistry and physiology laboratories which will extend and strengthen the mini-research project concept. At present, experiments requiring the quantitation of electrophoretic blots or autoradiograms cannot be performed. The wide use of densitometry in biological and biochemical research makes it imperative that our undergraduates appreciate the sensitivity and versatility of this technique. The personal densitometer will also be used in undergraduate research projects that are currently underway in the chemistry and biology departments. Implementation of the mini-project approach to the biochemistry and physiology laboratories, as well as the new experiments designed for the personal densitometer, will be shared with colleagues within a professional forum. In summary, the impact of a personal densitometer in our undergraduate laboratory curriculum cannot be understated. Use of the personal densitometer, within the framework of the project-orientated laboratory, will significantly enhance our undergraduate biochemistry and biology programs. It will allow us to provide our students, many of whom are under-represented minorities and women, the strong foundation in biochemistry and physiology necessary to pursue their goals of and advanced degree of professional employment.
