The Chemistry and Biology Departments have jointly collaborated on the implementation of a new major in biochemistry. Included in the degree plan is a course in molecular biology taught in the Biology Department and two courses in biochemistry taught in the Chemistry Department, each with a 3-hour lab. This project addresses the need to outfit the newly designed biochemistry laboratory components and enhance the existing molecular biology course through the acquisition of a capillary electrophoresis (CE) unit, used in conjunction with an existing high-performance liquid chromatograph. Already a common analytical tool in several science disciplines, CE has the advantages of possessing an efficiency similar to that of capillary gas chromatography, requiring only minute sample amounts, and the applicability to a wide range of analytes from small ions to large biomolecules. The unit is also easily automated for precise quantitative analysis and ease of use. Experiments involving analysis of oligonucleotide size, molecular weight determination, and tryptic protein fragment separation have been developed for these labs. Students also have access to this instrument for undergraduate research projects.
