Class description:
Analysis of biological samples and samples in biological matrixes using chemical and biochemical techniques. Emphasis on statistical analysis of experimental data, spectroscopic methods of quantitation, advanced concepts in equilibrium chemistry, chromatographic and electrophoretic separations and electrochemical methods of analysis. Course format includes laboratories, special projects and discussions of current literature and reviews. Prerequisite: Chemistry 382.
Welcome to Chemistry 345! Hold on for a swift introduction to analytical techniques and instrumentation most commonly used in biochemistry. This class is foremost a class in analytical chemistry that has been adapted for students majoring in biochemistry and/or pursuing careers in biochemistry, molecular biology, biotechnology and medicine. The class emphasizes the statistical treatment of experimental data, experimental design, chemical separations and spectroscopic and electrochemical instrumental methods of analysis. For a more quantitative view of some of these phenomena, you will most certainly enjoy physical chemistry. For a more detailed view of the instruments and statistical design of experiments, I suggest you enroll in Chemistry 342.
Besides gaining a better understanding about analytical theory, the primary expectation of this class is that you will learn to read the literature of (bio)analytical chemistry and design and evaluate the quality of your own experiments. You will note that we will provide you with guidelines for experimentation, but you will provide the specifics of most experiments. In this fashion, after the first week of class, your instructor will act as a guide to help you in experimental design but not as the designer of your experiments. However, it would be best to check in with me or my assistants before marching off to mix your reagents or operate an instrument because the materials are expensive and the instruments are even more so.
The CH 345 class of 2005 had this to offer future students who take the class:
The new knowledge and insights you will gain include:
• What makes data significant or experiments meaningful
• A general awareness of good lab technique
• Ability to identify and minimize error before the lab
• New ways to look at everything you've already learned
• How to critically read scientific literature to gain enough knowledge and understanding to explain it to someone else
• Using Excel!
Our advice to you is:
• Clear out the rest of your schedule
• Try not to get overwhelmed-do what you have time but don't put off sleep; otherwise you won't pick up class theory
• Ask questions-Howard is very receptive and responsive
• Stay organized and manage your time well (multi-task as possible)
• Learning records can be a useful tool for reflection but don't get too caught up in them
• The first week is horrendous but it gets better-really!
You have seven different types of assignments:
1) Laboratory & Computer Based Activities (4): In lieu of required homework, these problems will be done individually to familiarize you with statistics, spreadsheets, laboratory techniques, and bioanalytical instrumentation.
2) Planned Lab Experiments (2): These experiments, done "individually," serve as an introduction to laboratory technique, spreadsheet analysis and statistics. They are intended to provide you with some fundamental lab skills. You may be asked to repeat your analyses until your results are acceptable.
3) Lab Projects (3 per team): Each team will be assigned three different projects. Each group will prefeerably use at least one spectroscopic, one chromatographic and one electrochemical technique.
• Project 1 requires the group to analyze components in a serum sample. The team members (led by the manager) will find an appropriate literature procedure or you can design your own.
• Project 2 requires the qualification (and perhaps) optimization of a known (or new) method.
• Project 3 will be a designed project of your own choice; it must involve an instrumental technique you have not yet used and be amenable to advanced statistical analysis that addresses a clearly stated hypothesis. It will be graded on originality and the quality of work.
The manager of each experiment will present a detailed description of the analysis plan including an estimation of the sources and magnitude of expected errors. The manager will insure that the chemist makes appropriate solutions for calibration and analysis. The instrumentation expert will then analyze the samples. Each team manager will have four afternoons (or two full days) to insure their sample is analyzed correctly, their calculations are done correctly and a high quality oral and written report are presented. Each team member will have one chance in each role.
4) Literature Reviews: Teams of three students will choose an appropriate review paper and research paper on an assigned topic. The student(s) will be responsible for distributing the research paper to the class in a timely fashion and presenting a one-hour summary of the paper, including five good exam questions. Students will be graded based on the quality of the presentation and the exam results of their peers.
5) In addition, a cumulative open book and open notebook final will be given during the last weekend to assess your familiarity with the lecture material and evaluate your ability to design experiments that could be conducted in the laboratory.
Laboratory:
In the first week of the class you will do two simple labs on micropipette calibration and protein determination that both use statistics and serve to familiarize you with the use of spreadsheets. In the lab on protein determination you will also learn how to do linear regression, propagate error, calculate detection limits and use ANOVA. You will be expected to use these techniques throughout the remainder of the class.
Grading
Half of your class grade is based on your laboratory work. As such, if you do all the lab and "lecture" work and hand it in, it will be difficult to score much less than a low B grade in the class (though it has been done).
Lit Presentation: 10% (2nd & 3rd week)
Labs: 2 x 5% = 10% (1st week)
Manager's Report: 3 x 10% = 30% (2nd , 3rd and 4 th week)
Activities: 4 x 3% = 12% (each week)
Lit Exams: 2x10%= 20% (1st and 2nd weekend)
Final Exam: 20% (last weekend)
TOTAL 100%