Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the National Society for the Prevention of Blindness (Milwaukee, Wisconsin, May 14, 1969).

Questionnaires were sent to 120 colleges/universities in the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) to obtain information on contemporary approaches to teaching biochemistry lecture/laboratory courses. Highlights of the survey are reported, focusing on library holdings, textbooks/laboratory manuals used, laboratory equipment used, and course length. (Author/JN)

Describes an experiment which gives students experience with uncertainties encountered in studying metabolic pathways; handling/use of radioisotopes; application of thin layer chromatography; and liquid scintillation counting and fluorography as methods of detecting radioactivity. The experiment can be accomplished in two to three laboratory…

A simple, three-step procedure for synthesizing a dipeptide from its component amino acids is described. The dipeptide synthesized uses inexpensive amino acids having hydrocarbon side-chains and can be observed in E/Z forms by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Each step in the synthesis produces white crystalline products using standard…

Discusses major themes and interrelationships common to bioselective potentiometric membrane electrodes including the nature of bioselective electrodes, applications, and future prospects. Includes tables on traditional ion-selective membrane electrodes, nontraditional electrodes, and typical biocatalytic potentiometric electrodes. (Author/JN)

A laboratory experiment that demonstrates the effects of various dental materials on a representative enzyme from the pulp is outlined. The experiment encourages students to consider the effects that various restorative materials and techniques might have on enzymes in the living pulp. (Author/MLW)

Describes some practical exercises involving the glutamine synthetase enzyme of Beneckea Natriegens. (CS)

Describes a biochemistry class project which allows students to investigate independently the separate aspects of a common complex problem. The basic experimental procedure is detailed for obtaining information about the structure and geometry of L-ornithine carbamoyltransferase. (CS)

Presents an undergraduate biochemistry laboratory experiment in which glycohemoglobin, a derivative of hemoglobin, is determined. (CS)

The biochemistry laboratory-based course of an undergraduate college is discussed. The course description and sequence of topics related to the subject of enzymes are given. Emphasis in the course is on students working from their classroom data. (SA)

Describes a computer program which enables sixth-form (16 to 18 year-olds) British students to investigate the amino acid sequence of any chosen small oligopeptide. (HM)

Explains how using computers to generate images, to gather high-speed data, and to make better models has greatly improved x-ray crystallography results. (Author/GA)

Describes the way enzymes operate through reaction energetics, and explains that most of the catalytic power of enzymes lies in the strong noncovalent forces responsible for initial binding of substrate, which are only manifested at the transition state of the reaction. (Author/GA)

The bonding of dioxygen in metal-dioxygen complexes is discussed, paying particular attention to the problems encountered in assigning conventional oxidation numbers to both the metal center and coordinated dioxygen. Complexes of iron, cobalt, chromium, and manganese are considered. (BB)

Describes an experiment that utilizes polarimetry to measure mutarotation of glucose and nmr spectroscopy to identify the structures of reactants and products of biochemical reactions. (MLH)