Professor Awarded Grant to Enhance Chemistry Labs for Life Sciences Careers

text reading "massachusetts life sciences center" over an image of a wentworth building

A professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology has secured a key grant from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (MLSC) to equip chemistry students with skills tailored for the state’s biotechnology sector. Assistant Professor Brian Ernst, of the School of Sciences and Humanities, will use the funding to help integrate three new, industry-relevant experiments into the General Chemistry II laboratory curriculum. 

The project directly addresses the needs of students in Wentworth's Biological Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, and Applied Sciences programs who frequently pursue careers in the life sciences. The enhancement allows the university to bridge the gap between foundational chemistry principles and their real-world applications, giving students the hands-on experience that is in high demand. 

The MLSC funding will facilitate the purchase of specialized scientific equipment, including an isothermal titration calorimetry system, drug docking software, high-precision pH meters, and flow cuvettes. This new equipment is essential for the three advanced experiments being introduced: 

  • Drug Binding Analysis: A study of the thermodynamics of molecular binding, a fundamental process in drug discovery, using computational modeling and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC).
  • Biochemical Buffering: An experiment focused on creating and analyzing phosphate buffer solutions, which are critical in many biological and pharmaceutical systems.
  • Protein Kinetics: An investigation into the rapid binding of oxygen to hemoglobin, a core concept in biomedical research, using advanced flow cuvette technology. 

Through these sophisticated lab modules, students will gain direct experience with modern scientific instruments, complex data analysis, and biochemical experimentation. This initiative not only enriches the academic curriculum but also strengthens Wentworth's commitment to providing career-focused, experiential learning that prepares graduates for immediate impact in their fields.