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 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 make extensive use of an impressive array of laboratory equipment, instrumentation and computer-based technologies housed in both departments. The biology and chemistry departments are located in Johnson Hall of Science (JHS), which contains a biochemistry and molecular biology suite of teaching and research laboratories. JHS is also home of the Microscopy and Imaging Center, a significant resource for biochemistry majors. The center houses a confocal microscope, a transmission electron microscope, a scanning electron microscope with an energy dispersive X-ray analysis system, and fluorescence and differential interference microscopes. The chemistry department maintains an impressive shared instrumentation laboratory that includes a modern, high-field multinuclear NMR spectrometer, a capillary gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer and a FT-IR microscope with MCT-A detector. In addition, the chemistry computer room has workstations that enable student and faculty access to supercomputing capabilities. For more thorough and detailed descriptions of facilities and equipment please refer to the biology and chemistry sections of this Catalog.

Note that students majoring in biochemistry may not also major and/or minor in biology, -neuroscience or chemistry.

Planning for the Major

To address interdisciplinary topics productively, 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 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 is 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 Placement Exams

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 1.25 units of credit toward the biochemistry major. Students who do well in 101 course will be permitted to bypass the second semester of General Biology course (102), receiving the 1.25 units of credit for this course as well as standing to take courses that require 102. Approval of this option to bypass the 102 courses is determined by the General -Biology course instructors. Athough AP scores of 4 or 5 will automatically nominate students for this bypass option, students may voluntarily choose to stay in the General Biology course sequence and enroll in Biology 102.

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 take Chemistry 105 (Accelerated General Chemistry) in the fall.

Major Requirements

Biochemistry majors must complete the following courses:

In biology: 101 and 102 (General Biology); two upper-level biology courses from among Genetics (245 or 246, 250 (Introduction to Cell Biology) and 231(Microbiology).

In chemistry: 103-104 or 105 (General Chemistry), 221-222 (Organic Chemistry) and 342 (Biophysical Chemistry).

In biochemistry: Biochemistry (309), Research Methods in Biochemistry (394), Research Methods in Molecular Biology (395), Advanced Biochemistry (415), and a senior project -following either chemistry or biology department guidelines.

In physics: College Physics (103,104) or University Physics (151,152)

In mathematics: Calculus I (135). (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.

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

309. Biochemistry.
The course is organized around several themes: the relationship of structure to function in biomolecules, production of energy, regulation and control of metabolism. Topics covered to illustrate these themes include enzyme action and regulation, hemoglobin and the transport of oxygen and carbon dioxide, metabolism of carbohydrates for energy production, structure and function of biological membranes, and structure and function of molecules involved in transmission and expression of genetic information. Prerequisite: Chemistry 222 or permission of instructor. Counts toward the neuroscience major (cellular track). Also offered as Biology 309 and Chemistry 309.

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.

415. Advanced Biochemistry.
A variety of topics are covered in depth depending on the interests of the students. The course begins with an overview of metabolism and its hormonal regulation. Other topics may include protein synthesis and targeting, molecular immunology, sensory systems and neurotransmission, hormone action, membrane transport, oncogenes and cancer, photosynthesis, and advanced topics in metabolism. Topics of current interest may also be included. Through both written and oral presentation students develop their abilities to use the scientific literature and communicate in science. Prerequisite: Chemistry 309 or permission of instructor. Counts toward the neuroscience major (cellular track). Also offered as Biology 415 and Chemistry 415.

489, 490. SYE: Experimental Research. (.5 or 1 unit)
Research projects for students desiring to pursue directed, experimental research in biochemistry. Students integrate acquired research skills and subject knowledge to collect original experimental data and to analyze the results in reference to the existing scientific primary literature. Under the direction of a faculty mentor, students conduct their SYE research project following either chemistry or biology department guidelines. Prerequisite: sponsorship by a faculty member.

499. Honors Projects. (.5 or 1 unit)
Graduation with honors in biochemistry requires exceptional academic accomplishment as demonstrated by a biochemistry (combined biology, chemistry and biochemistry) GPA of 3.5 or above and the completion of a second semester of SYE honors research. Under the direction of a faculty mentor, students conduct their SYE honors research project following either chemistry or biology department guidelines. Prerequisite: sponsorship by a faculty member.