ERIC Number: EJ1046318
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2014-Nov
Pages: 4
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-0021-9584
EISSN: N/A
Synthesis, Characterization, and Secondary Structure Determination of a Silk-Inspired, Self-Assembling Peptide: A Laboratory Exercise for Organic and Biochemistry Courses
Albin, Tyler J.; Fry, Melany M.; Murphy, Amanda R.
Journal of Chemical Education, v91 n11 p1981-1984 Nov 2014
This laboratory experiment gives upper-division organic or biochemistry undergraduate students a comprehensive look at the synthesis, chemical characterization, self-assembly, and secondary structure determination of small, N-acylated peptides inspired by the protein structure of silkworm silk. All experiments can be completed in one 4 h lab period, followed by two 3 h lab periods, but can be easily tailored to a particular course curriculum, time restraints, or instrument availability. Students synthesize a peptide using solid-phase techniques and characterize the product using nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy, high-performance liquid chromatography, and mass spectrometry. Unique from other available peptide-based experiments, self-assembly of the peptide is induced in organic solvent, resulting in the formation of a gel. Following solvent evaporation, FTIR spectroscopy is used to evaluate the secondary structure of the peptide before and after assembly. This set of experiments provides students with an opportunity to explore protein structure from the bottom up, starting from the molecular structure of individual amino acids and continuing through the hydrogen bonding interactions that influence protein 3D structure.
Descriptors: Science Instruction, Science Laboratories, Biochemistry, Organic Chemistry, Undergraduate Study, Scientific Concepts, Science Experiments, Spectroscopy, Molecular Structure, College Science, Laboratory Experiments
Division of Chemical Education, Inc and ACS Publications Division of the American Chemical Society. 1155 Sixteenth Street NW, Washington, DC 20036. Tel: 800-227-5558; Tel: 202-872-4600; e-mail: eic@jce.acs.org; Web site: http://pubs.acs.org/jchemeduc
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: Higher Education; Postsecondary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: National Science Foundation
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A