Biochemistry I and II (CHE 451 and 452).  CHE 451/452 is a two semester sequence in which students learn about the chemistry that underlies cellular processes.  The primary focus of CHE 451 is the understanding of biological macromolecules, with an emphasis on proteins, nucleic acids, and carbohydrates.  In this course, students learn to use the protein visualization program, Chimera, allowing them to see first-hand how protein structure impacts function.

In CHE 452, students use the foundation from CHE 451 to study biochemical topics in more detail.  Particular emphasis is placed on cellular metabolism.  Students also read and present papers from the primary biochemical literature.

Biochemistry Laboratory (CHE 453).  CHE 453 is a one-semester upper level laboratory course that uses a project-based approach.  Students are involved in over-expressing a recombinant protein in Escherichia coli, protein purification using affinity chromatography, and biochemical characterization of an enzyme using a spectrophotometric kinetic assay.

Pedagogical publications:

Katherine A. Hicks. “Measuring Norfloxacin Binding to Trypsin Using a Fluorescence Quenching Assay in an Upper-Division, Integrated Laboratory Course,” The Journal of Chemical Education, (2016), 93(2), 380-382. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.5b00548