Introduces a follow-up laboratory experiment demonstrating the formation change when calcium binds to calmodulin. This conformation change allows this complex to bind to a target protein. Presents the necessary information to conduct the experiment and discusses the results. (YDS)

Discusses challenges in teaching lasers and optical communications to engineers, including the prohibitive cost of laboratory experiments, and describes the development of a computer-based photonics simulation experiment module which provides students with an understanding and visualization of how lasers can be modulated in telecommunications.…

Presents an experiment testing three wing angles, swept-back, straight, and swept forward, to determine which of them produces the most lift in a low speed tunnel. (YDS)

Explains the theory of thin layer electrophoresis, hazards related to the apparatus, and how to conduct an experiment. (YDS)

The increase in NMR relaxation rates as a result of dissolved paramagnetic species on the sample of superoxygenated drinking water is demonstrated. It is concluded that oxygen content in NMR samples is an important issue and can give rise to various problems in the interpretation of both spectroscopic and NMR imaging or relaxation experiments.

An experiment on kinetics of deactivation of carbonic anhydrase by removal of zinc is demonstrated. Carbonic anhydrase, the enzyme that catalyzes the interconversion of carbon dioxide and bicarbonate, requires on Zn(II) ion in its active site, and removal of the zinc cofactor by complexion to another ligand leaves the apoenzyme, which is totally…

A mixture of potassium hydroxide and alpha-naphthaldehyde (1) are heated under solvent-free conditions to produce 1-naphthoic acid (2) and 1-naphthalenemethanol (3). The experiment offers several advantages over many existing exercises including the ease of reaction workup, shorter reaction time, relative environmental friendliness of the…

The synthesis of meso-octamethylporphyrinogen that involves a mini-scale preparation and uses acetone as reactant and also as solvent is presented. It results in a product of almost analytical grade directly from the reaction medium.

A laboratory course called cytochrome c that focuses on the theme of biochemical research is presented. The students follow this course by incorporating team-investigation and self-directed experimentation that provides them an opportunity to experience the excitement of research.

The reduction of carbonyl groups by sodium borohydride though is a well-known reaction in most organic lab texts, a difficulty for an instructor adopting this reaction in a student lab is that it is too long. Using a microwave assisted organic synthesis solves this difficulty and one such reaction, which is the microwave-assisted reduction of…

Electrospray ionization (ESI) is a soft ionization technique that allows transfer of fragile biomolecules directly from solution into the gas phase. An instrumental analysis laboratory experiment is designed that would introduce the students to the ESI technique, major parameters of the ion trap mass spectrometers and some caveats in…

The addition of a dilute solution of bromine in carbon tetrachloride to a compound to test for carbon-carbon multiple bonds, which is one of the widely cited qualitative tests employed in organic chemistry is presented. Major advantages of this approach include the ease and rapidness of the procedure, the stability of the test solution over time,…

A thin-wall disposable Pasteur pipet is used as a vacuum-tight receptacle for air-sensitive compounds to ascertain their melting points. This technique is easy, economical, and successfully used for many years to develop air-sensitive samples for melting point determinations.

The phenomena of double-diffusion convection is demonstrated. The more advanced aspects and procedures involving quantitative analyses suitable for a laboratory project are described.

A laboratory experiment for students in the last year of degree program in chemical engineering, chemistry, or industrial chemistry is presented. It models the chlor-alkali process, one of the most important industrial applications of electrochemical technology and the second largest industrial consumer of electricity after aluminium industry.