Longwood University’s favorite saying is that they want to help develop “citizen leaders.” One way I see this done for Biology majors is by providing us with the opportunities to integrate both physics and chemistry into some of the biological concepts we have already learned. Some students see this in biology courses that have integrated physics and chemistry straight into their curriculum while other students see biological concepts integrated into their physics and chemistry courses instead. For me, while I did take a few physics courses, many of my biology courses that I preferred did not focus on physics concepts. With that being said, a lot of the courses I did take were chemistry based with some biological integration such as Organic Chemistry II, Quantitative Analysis, and Medical Chemistry.
Organic Chemistry II is a common class that many Biology majors take if they are planning on achieving a Chemistry minor. The other reason for why I took this course was that I knew that in order to further my career in Cell and Molecular Biology in the field of laboratory research it would be smart to have some basic knowledge of chemical concepts. During this course, I conducted a project where I investigated the effects of a modified paraben and its ability to reduce estrogenic activity levels while still maintaining its antibacterial properties. While the majority of this project was heavy in chemistry, the final experiment visually showed the biological concept of an antibiotic. At the time that I was taking this course I did not yet have enough knowledge past the definition of an antibiotic however I would soon learn that there are many different mechanisms that go into developing antibiotics through other courses such as Medical Chemistry and Cell Biology. Below is my research report for this project which I wrote in the Fall of 2017.
Addition of Benzylic Bromines to Ethyl Paraben
For me, Quantitative Analysis was the last course that I needed to take in order to complete my minor in Chemistry. I did not really know what to expect from this course other than that it was math heavy and to my surprise I was able to connect another chemical concept to a biological one. In this course I conducted many experiments but the one that stood out to me was the “Hot sauce lab.” For this project, I was comparing the concentrations of capsaicin (the “spicy” chemical in peppers) from different hot sauces by liquid chromatography. Through this lab I was able to connect previous knowledge that I had from Medical Chemistry, Cell Biology, and Human A&P I. From Human A&P I I understood the anatomy and physiology of taste and smell and how something like chocolate is distinguished from something like hot sauce. In fact, I learned from both Medical Chemistry and Cell Biology the concept of receptors which is key to understanding what is happening when capsaicin reaches your mouth and why it’s so “hot” or “spicy.” Below is my research report for this project which I wrote in the Fall of 2019.
Determination of Capsaicin in Hot Sauces by Liquid Chromatography
Medical Chemistry was the elective course that I took for my Chemistry minor. This was one of the most challenging courses I have taken at Longwood, but it has been super beneficial to my knowledge of drug and body interactions. This course did not include a lab portion so instead we were challenged to prepare a 25-minute presentation on a topic of our choice. I decided to focus mine of antiviral agents specifically relating to DNA and RNA viruses such as the flu, common cold, and hepatitis C. This course and presentation provided a lot of the background knowledge that I still use today to help me better understand viruses and their interactions within the body. I was able to use this information in other courses such as Immunology and Molecular Mechanisms of Disease. Below is my PowerPoint presentation that I presented for the class in the Spring of 2018.
Antiviral Agents: DNA and RNA viruses (Flu, Cold, and Hep C)
As you can see, I have had a lot of experience integrating chemical and biological concepts over the past four years at Longwood. While I do not have any physical evidence to provide for my physics integration, I have acquired vast knowledge of different concepts integrated with biology such as light entering the eye and how that can change from person to person.