Paul Kline

pkline@mtsu.edu

Earl Pearson

Chemistry

Discipline specific equipment

208

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The University inaugurated the B.S. in Biochemistry in August 2008, with the first graduates receiving their degrees in May 2009. The popularity of this degree has increased dramatically with class sizes more than doubling from the first to the second year. We propose to purchase new and additional equipment to serve the students in biochemistry laboratories. Several courses will be positively affected: CHEM 3530, CHEM 4530, CHEM 4551, and CHEM 4230. These courses support the B.S. in Biochemistry, but also serve as electives for Chemistry and Biology majors and Pre-Professional students. 2009-2010 enrollment for these classes total 231 students. In addition, undergraduate research students and graduate students in the Department of Chemistry will use this equipment. Moreover students in the recently approved Forensic Science major and graduate students in the new Ph.D. programs are expected to place additional demands on the biochemistry equipment. These instruments will provide students with hands-on experience with equipment that they will be expected to be knowledgeable about in their professional careers. The equipment includes high pressure liquid chromatographs, UV-Visible spectrophotometers micropipetting systems, and electrophoresis units. With this equipment students can carry out experiments to analyze DNA, assay protein concentrations, and identify unknown biochemical molecules.