Did you know that some science experiments can be edible? Sign up for this class if you're interested in learning about the different types of reactions behind the fizzing and popping you may observe in some food and candies!

Imagine for a moment that you walk into a laboratory and someone hands you a tube of an unknown clear liquid. Your immediate reaction would probably be concern about what, exactly, you were just handed. So, how could you answer that question? It turns out that there's a very large number of potential techniques out there to do so. In the real world, this sort of scenario doesn't exactly happen a lot, but identifying unknown substances is still very important. Biochemistry often involves studying individual proteins and small molecules that are far too small to see with any reasonable microscope. And yet, every day, biochemists and other similar scientists and engineers around the world manage to do meaningful work studying and manufacturing everything from medicine to microbes and pond scum to compostable soda cups. This class will explore a variety of analytical techniques such as mass spectrometry and gel electrophoresis, and the basic principles by which they work. The class will also start with an introduction to biochemistry.