Laboratory Activities for the USF Summer Biomedical and Life Science Program

1. Introduction to the Quantitative Biochemistry Laboratory
    Laboratory safety, error analysis and pipetting techniques

2. Colorimetry - A Simple Spectrophotometric Approach to Quantitative Analysis
    Defining relationships between color and amounts by analyzing p-nitrophenol which serves as the chromophore in activity assays of alkaline phosphatase and proteases;  Application of the Beer-Lambert Law A = e x l x C; To examine the relationship between absorbance and concentration for dilute solutions, and to determine the molar absorptivity e (or extinction coefficient, cm–1 M–1) of the compound at certain wavelength.

3. Quantifying Biological Macromolecules using Spectroscopy with Focus on Proteins
    Determination of unknown protein concentration by means of Bradford Protein Assay and Bicinchoninic Acid Assay

4. Enzymology - Biological and Technological Significance
Studying enzyme kinetics by using the enzymes alkaline phosphatase and proteases as examples; to explore the effect of substrate and inhibitor concentration on enzyme function

5. Principles of Chromatography: Separation of Biological  molecules
Paper chromatography of plant extract; thin layer chromatography (TLC) of pharmaceutical drugs: To identify specific drugs using the technique TLC; Column chromatography for protein separation/purification

6. Food Analysis:  Determining the Vitamin C Content of Foods Before and After  Processing 
Vitamin C determination of various samples, including fresh fruits and other foods

7. DNA Technology
 DNA Fingerprinting - Restriction Mapping and Forensics
 Genetic Engineering - changing phenotype by changing genotype