CHEM 444 - Biochemistry Laboratory II

Units: 3
Laboratory techniques in biochemistry. Continuation of CHEM 443 with emphasis on immunological techniques for protein characterization and manipulation of nucleic acids. Lecture Units: 1; Lab Units: 2

Prerequisites: CHEM 443 with grade C- or better.
Co-requisites: CHEM 442.
Possible Instructional Methods: Entirely On-ground.
Grading: A-F grading only.
Course Typically Offered: Spring ONLY

Student Learning Outcomes - Upon successful completion of this course students will be able to:

Explain the theoretical basis for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique;
Apply PCR to amplify specific regions of a template DNA and monitor amplification by agarose gel electrophoresis;
Utilize recombinant DNA techniques to introduce a PCR product into a plasmid expression vector and confirm hybrid plasmid structure by restriction digestion and sequence analysis;
Relate the principles by which microarray technology can be used to analyze transcription patterns for particular cell types or physiological conditions;
Identify related DNA sequences using a BLASTn computer program;
Define affinity chromatography and apply to the purification of a His6 -tagged protein;
Summarize the chemical basis for Western Blotting and perform a representative experiment using SDS-PAGE, electroblotting, and detection with primary antibody and enzyme-conjugated secondary antibody;
Develop an ELISA assay to identify an individual protein from a complex mixture.