Biochemistry
Major offered
Visit http://it.stlawu.edu/~biochem/ or link via the department Web pages http://it.stlawu.edu/~biology/ or http://it.stlawu.edu/~chem/.
The interface between chemistry and biology offers numerous
exciting opportunities for study and research in an interdisciplinary
arena. It is one of the most active areas of current scientific
progress and the main driving force behind the biotechnology
revolution. The biology and chemistry departments collaborate
in the teaching and administration of the biochemistry major.
Students will see how the tools and concepts of these two disciplines
are used to ask and answer fundamental questions related to
the molecular basis of life processes. Students interested
in such diverse topics as cloning, the mechanism of drug action,
DNA fingerprinting, structure/function relationships of biological
macromolecules, hormonal regulation of physiological processes,
metabolic pathways, mechanisms of enzyme catalysis and similar
topics will find much of interest.
Specific goals for students
in this major include (1) Development of a knowledge of the
function of living organisms at the molecular level and the
relevance of chemical and biological principles, and their
interplay, in reaching this understanding; (2) Development
of laboratory skills that allow research questions in biochemistry
to be pursued; (3) Participation in faculty-mentored research
projects at various stages of the student’s education, culminating in the
senior project; (4) Preparation for careers in biotechnology and health and graduate
work in biochemistry or molecular biology.
Students will make extensive use of
an impressive array of laboratory equipment, instrumentation
and computer-based technologies housed in both departments.
A dramatically enhanced microscopy/imaging
facility houses transmission and scanning electron microscopes
in addition to fluorescence and differential interference microscopes.
A confocal microscope and an energy
dispersive X-ray analysis system for the SEM were added in
2002. The chemistry department is home to a modern, high-field
multinuclear NMR spectrometer and also houses workstations
that enable student and faculty access to supercomputing
capabilities.
Note that students majoring in biochemistry may not also major
and/or minor in either biology, neuroscience or chemistry.
Planning for the Major
To productively address interdisciplinary topics one
must first become well grounded in the interacting disciplines. This
requires a fast start in which key prerequisite courses are completed,
beginning in the very first semester of study. A student interested
in majoring in biochemistry will be best served by selecting a second
advisor from either the biology or chemistry faculty during the first-year
orientation period. Contact either of the department chairs for
information regarding how to establish a formal or informal secondary
advisor relationship. Developing a strong advising relationship will
be essential in shaping your curriculum in a way that provides a background
commensurate with your needs. Your program of study should be tailored
to fit your future plans.
Advanced Standing
Students scoring a 4 or 5 on the AP biology test must
enroll in the first semester of
Biology 101 (General
Biology) for which they will receive the normal 1.5 units
of credit toward the biochemistry major. Students who do
well in this course will be permitted to bypass 102 (the spring biology
course) and they will be given course credit toward the major. This requires
approval of the general biology course instructors, who will use multiple
criteria to determine whether or not the AP student should take the spring
course. The AP score of 4 or 5 will automatically nominate the student
for this option, but the student may also choose to forgo it.
Students who have taken AP chemistry and received a grade of 4 or 5 are eligible to receive 1 unit of credit for Chemistry 103. They may enroll in
Chemistry 104 in the spring but are encouraged to consider taking the
Chemistry 105 (Accelerated General Chemistry) in the fall.
Major Requirements
Biochemistry majors must complete the following courses:
In biology:
101-102 (General Biology);
two upper-level biology courses from among 245 or 246 (Genetics),
250 (Introduction to
Cell Biology) and
231(Microbiology).
In chemistry:
103-104 or
105 (General Chemistry),
221-222 (Organic Chemistry),
309 (Biochemistry),
342 (Biophysical Chemistry) and
415 (Advanced Biochemistry).
In addition, students must take Biochemistry
394 (Research Methods
in Biochemistry) and Biochemistry
395 (Research Methods
in Molecular Biology) and complete a senior project following
either chemistry or biology department guidelines.
Senior Research and Honors Project
Senior research may be conducted with a willing faculty mentor and
may be of one semester in duration (Biochemistry 489, SYE Research,
1 unit) or for the entire senior year (Biochemistry 489/490, SYE Research,
1, 1.5 or 2 units). Students will present their research orally to
the biochemistry faculty and are encouraged to present their work at
the Annual Festival of Science.
To graduate with honors in biochemistry, students would normally take
Biochemistry 489 in the fall semester and then enroll in Biochemistry
499 in the spring semester. In addition, students must have a biochemistry
GPA (combined chemistry, biology and biochemistry required courses) of
3.5; form a mentoring committee by the end of the fall semester; submit
a written thesis to the committee by the last day of spring classes;
present the research orally in a seminar; and successfully defend the
work in an oral examination in front of the mentoring committee.
Prerequisite courses from other departments are Physics
103-104 or 151-152
and Mathematics
135 (Calculus).
(Two semesters of calculus and a statistics course are strongly recommended.)
The introductory biology and chemistry courses should be completed
during the first year of study. Additional math and chemistry may be
important for fulfilling admissions requirements to certain graduate
programs in biochemistry. Planning forms are available on the biochemistry
Web page.
Courses
394. Research Methods in Biochemistry.
This course will introduce basic laboratory techniques and skills that
are common in fields related to biochemistry. The first half of the
semester will be devoted to learning basic techniques. During the second
half of the semester, students will apply those techniques to complete
a guided research project. Attention will be paid to both theory and
application. Students will develop a methodology notebook and will
prepare lab reports for each exercise. The project will be written
up in the style of a journal article. There will not be separate lecture
and lab periods; all learning will be done in the laboratories, which
will meet two afternoons per week plus a half-hour recitation section
by arrangement. Prerequisites: Chemistry 222 and any one of Biology
245, 246, 250, 312, 331, 391 or Chemistry 309 (which can be taken as
co-requisite). This course is required for the biochemistry major and
also carries credit toward the biology major/minor. Also
offered as Biology 394.
395. Research Methods in Molecular Biology.
Molecular techniques have revolutionized how biologists address problems
in genetics, medicine, ecology, systematics, conservation and many
other fields. In this course, students will obtain hands-on experience
using basic and advanced molecular techniques, such as western blotting,
nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) isolation and purification, DNA sequencing,
gel electrophoresis and polymerase chain reaction (PCR), to study gene
expression and genetic variability. The molecular techniques studied
in this course are the same techniques that are used in laboratories
across the country and around the world. In addition to gaining practical
experience in the laboratory, students will learn about the theories
behind each molecular protocol and study how biologists apply molecular
techniques to answer fundamental biological questions. Prerequisites:
Biology 245, 246, 250 or 394.Also offered
as Biology 395.
