This project is providing electrophoretic and immunochemistry equipment for use by undergraduate students enrolled in the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology courses. The equipment is being used to educate students in both the theory and the practice of modern techniques used to separate and analyze proteins and nucleic acids from biological sources. The new instrumentation includes a video densitometer, an ELISA reader, eight electrophoresis set-ups, computer interfaces and software. A sound set of educational and scientific goals is being pursued systematically under this project. The approach being employed stresses the quantitative uses of electrophoretic and immunochemical methods for detecting molecules (using modern densitometry and absorbance measurements), along with more traditional approaches. Under the resulting program students now are receiving the hands-on laboratory experience necessary to prepare them for scientific careers in biotechnology, the health professions, industry, and research. The grantee institution is matching the NSF award with an equal sum obtained from non-Federal sources.
