9451050 Breen The following proposal requests funds to purchase a high performance capillary electrophoresis (CE) system. Such a system would permit this exciting new development in separation science and chemical analysis to be incorporated into our undergraduate chemistry curriculum through a defined set of laboratory experiments. As designed, these experiments will impact our Analytical and Biological chemistry laboratories in a way likely to provide a model used by other institutions. Our plan of development includes: an introduction to CE principles and methodologies in both laboratory experiences; the development of experiments which demonstrate the micellar electrokinetic chromatographic mode for the separation of neutral molecules and the effects of chiral selectors for the separation of enantiomers in our Analytical Laboratories; an emphasis in the Biological Chemistry Laboratory on capillary gel electrophoresis as applied to the separation of proteins and nucleic acids and as a biophysical tool to assist in measuring the interactions between biological macromolecules. The requested instrument will have a significant impact on the training of our students and will provide cutting-edge educational opportunities that do not currently exist in our undergraduate curriculum.
