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  Home > JCE Print > Journal of Chemical Education > Issues > 2004  > June  >
In the Classroom
Molecular Modeling Exercises and Experiments
Exploring the Structure–Function Relationship of Macromolecules at the Undergraduate Level
Belinda Pastrana-Rios
Department of Chemistry, University of Puerto Rico–Mayagüez Campus, Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 00681-9019
Cover
June 2004
Vol. 81 No. 6
p. 837
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.
More Information
*  Citation
 Pastrana-Rios, Belinda. J. Chem. Educ. 2004 81 837.
*  Keywords
 Biochemistry; Biophysical Chemistry; Biotechnology; Computer Assisted Instruction; Laboratory Instruction; Molecular Properties / Structure
*  History
 Created:
Last Updated:		 May 2, 2004
January 21, 2005
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