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Exploring the Structure-Function Relationship of Macromolecules at the Undergraduate Level

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Belinda Pastrana-Rios

Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9019

J. Chem. Educ., 2004, 81 (6), p 837

DOI: 10.1021/ed081p837

Publication Date (Web): June 1, 2004

Section:

History, Education, and Documentation

Abstract

The undergraduate teaching initiatives discussed in this manuscript take advantage of a state-of-the-art visualization center devoted to teaching and research activities. These initiatives enabled the revision of an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory, where students have a "hands-on" approach in the use of molecular modeling to study biological molecules. These students learn to use the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) method, homology, and energy minimization routines on a biological molecule. This course is not limited to virtual studies but also uses Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) or nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to characterize a model peptide or phospholipid. A creative Web page is used as a primary reference by undergraduate and graduate students. A portfolio is employed as a nontraditional evaluation method. This nontraditional multidisciplinary approach helps students understand that proteins are dynamic in both structure and function and that proteins interact with other cellular components to produce a cellular response.