BTEC 2020: Biomolecular Separation and Analysis

Program Description:

The Biotechnology program at Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) prepares students for transferring to higher education and employment in the biotech industry. SLCC offers a Biotechnology Associate of Science degree and a Certificate of Proficiency. Classes are offered in a competency-based education format. Curriculum outlines for the program and materials for additional courses are available to view separately. 

Course Description

This course teaches students "how to apply purification and analysis techniques to biologically active substances. The class emphasizes applying electrophoretic and chromatographic technologies to protein purification and kinetic analysis of enzymes." The contents are divided into six modules. The first module provides an orientation to the course. The second module explores the structure of proteins and supplies a quiz assessment. The third module educates on protein gels and supplies three quiz assessments. Topics in this module range from the SDS-PAGE system to Bradford assays. The fourth module explores chromotography and supplies a quiz assessment. Students learn about size exclusion, ion exchange, and more. The fifth module educates on enzyme kinetics and supplies a quiz assessment. This module's topics range from the Michaelis-Menten plot to trypsin kinetics. Finally, the sixth module covers the final project where students "express, purify, and determine the turnover rate of the enzyme BglA under standard conditions, and an alternate condition of [their] own choosing." The sixth module also contains the final exam. As a hybrid course, students completed lecture modules online and lab activities on-campus.

Contents Description

Course materials include a course curriculum outline, syllabus, and a Canvas .imscc file. The 3-page syllabus includes a brief description about the course, primary learning objectives, information about grading, course policies, and campus resources. The 3-page course curriculum outline includes a rationale for action, course description, course learning outcomes, and course outcomes mapped to SLCC college-wide learning outcomes.

The .imscc file contains numerous folders and files from the Canvas course. Below is the list of modules and their contents.

• Module 1: Course Orientation
  • Welcome
  • Syllabus
  • Grading Policy
  • Get to Know Your Course
  • Using the Open Lab
  • Learning and Technical Support
  • Netiquette for Course Communication
  • How Competency-based Education Works
  • Introduce Yourself
  • Any Questions?
• Module 2: Protein Structure
  • Learn: Introduction to Protein Structure
  • Learn: What is a Protein?
  • Learn: The Four Levels of Protein Structure
  • Learn: Protein Structure Summary
  • Quiz: Protein Structure
• Module 3: Protein Gels
  • Learn: Introduction to Protein Gels
  • Quiz: What Factors Influence Protein Migration?
  • Learn: SDS-PAGE
  • Learn: Disulfide Bonds
  • Learn: Stacking in SDS-PAGE
  • Learn: The Two Gel Layers of SDS-PAGE
  • Learn: Acrylamide Percentage Affects Separation
  • Quiz: SDS-Page
  • Learn: Pouring, Loading, and Running SDS-PAGE Gels
  • Learn: Analyzing SDS-PAGE Results
  • Quiz: Pouring SDS-PAGE Gels
  • Milestone Lab: Completing an SDS-PAGEFile
  • Learn: Bradford AssayPage
  • Lab: Bradford AssayFile
• Module 4: Chromatography
  • Learn: Introduction to ChromatographyPage
  • Learn: Column ChromatographyPage
  • Learn: Size Exclusion ChromatographyPage
  • Learn: Ion Exchange ChromatographyPage
  • Learn: Affinity Exclusion ChromatographyPage
  • Quiz: Chromatography
  • Lab: Purify Small Molecules Via ChromatographyFile
  • Learn: ExplorePage
• Module 5: Enzyme Kinetics
  • Learn: Introduction to Enzyme KineticsPage
  • Learn: Enzyme Kinetics and Maximal VelocityPage
  • Learn: Maximal Velocity and the Michaelis-Menten plotPage
  • Learn: Turnover Rate and the Enzyme Inhibitor Binding SitePage
  • Milestone Lab: Trypsin KineticsFile
  • Quiz: Enzyme Kinetics
• Module 6: Final Project and Exam
  • Learn: Introduction to BglA Kinetics ProjectPage
  • Learn: Protein ExpressionPage
  • Graded Lab: BglA Expression, Purification, and KineticsFile
  • Final Exam Form AQuiz
  • Final Exam Form BQuiz