NSF Award
9850847
The acquisition of a versatile luminescence spectrometer that can measure fluorescence, phosphorescence, and chemiluminescence will enhance the laboratories in biochemistry, instrumental analysis and general, organic, and physical chemistry and positively impact the undergraduate research experience. The luminescence instrument will be used for identification, analysis, study of molecular dynamics and conformations of biomolecules in solution including interactions with ligands, and enzyme kinetics. The wide use of fluorescence, phosphorescence, and chemiluminescence in chemical, biological, and biochemical research makes it imperative that our undergraduates appreciate the sensitivity and versatility of these techniques. The luminescence spectrometer will be an integral part of the implementation of the mini-research project approach in the biochemistry laboratory that will allow students to develop problem solving skills with the proper supervision to ensure that they are exposed to a wide variety of research and experimental approaches. Implementation of the mini-project approach in the biochemistry laboratory, as well as the new experiments designed for this laboratory and the other laboratories across the curriculum, will be shared with colleagues within a professional forum. Through the integration of luminescence spectroscopy into many of the undergraduate laboratory courses, the students will obtain a solid understanding of luminescence spectroscopy and its many applications. This will impact the chemistry and biochemistry majors within our department, but also majors from other departments including chemical engineering and biology, who enroll in one or more of our laboratory courses. It will allow us to provide our students, many of whom are under-represented minorities and women, with a strong foundation in chemistry and biochemistry, which is necessary to pursue their goals of an advanced degree or professional employment.
