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Introduction to Biochemistry: A Different Approach HAROLD B WHITE, III

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry University of Delaware Newark, DE 19716, USA

Introduction Several years ago the University of Delaware established a bachelor of science degree in biochemistry to replace a biochemistry concentration within a chemistry degree. Given the genesis of the program and the orientation of the faculty, the biochemistry major was structured with strong emphasis on chemistry. Accordingly, the traditional two-semester introductory biochemistry course is not taken until the junior year, after the four-course sequence of freshman chemistry and sophomore organic chemistry. All of these courses have large enrollments and serve several constituencies. In order to expose majors to biochemistry before their junior year and to establish some group identity, a nontraditional course was created and has been received enthusiastically. In contrast to subsequent biochemistry courses, CHEM-342 Introduction to Biochemistry is not a survey course and does not emphasize factual material per se. Rather, the emphasis is on what a biochemist does and why. This introductory course is nontraditional in that it employs a discussion format, involves reading journal articles, has no textbook, requires a term paper in which composition is stressed, has essay examinations, emphasizes scientists as much as science, and includes historical, philosophical, and ethical issues. It is intended that this approach will provide perspectives that will facilitate learning in subsequent traditional biochemistry courses, encourage participation in research projects, and help in the rational selection of nonscience elective courses. While the number of students involved has been small (-10/yr) and the program is too new to adequately evaluate long-term goals, it is clear from student responses that this approach has been very successful in the short term. Genesis of the Course In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Dr Herman T Epstein of Brandeis University experimented with introductory biology courses for nonmajors. 1'2 His thesis was that the traditional survey course was less useful and less interesting to nonmajors than a course based on what biologists do. He succeeded in recruiting a number of his distinguished research-oriented colleagues to teach small sections of introductory biology. Each instructor selected a sequence of six to ten key research articles in his or her field. These often culminated with an article recently published by the instructor. The role of the instructor was to respond to student questions and promote discussion about the articles. Successive articles were preceded by a discussion of what should be done next. Out of this discussion the topic of the next paper usually emerged. In BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 20(1) 1992

this way students reconstructed the intellectual develop ments and became very knowledgeable in a small area of biology. However, in the process they were exposed to much more of biology in the context of their area. This 'graduate seminar for freshmen' worked well in several disciplines for elite undergraduates instructed by experts. It seemed this format could be usefully adapted for biochemistry majors in an introductory course that would supplement, without compromising, the material presented in the textbook-based introductory biochemistry courses to follow. It would provide an opportunity to introduce many important general topics that are avoided or covered poorly in traditional courses; eg, the history of biochemistry, the nature of research, scientific communication, how to read journal articles, or the ethics of science. Because such a course would have no prescribed content, it would permit an instructor to personalize the course. Such a course is now required for our biochemistry majors in their sophomore year.

Research Themes Virtually any area of biochemistry is appropriate for an introductory course of this type, provided a progression of relevant publications exists and the instructor is knowledgeable in the area. Of the themes used here, the one dealing with hemoglobin and sickle cell anemia has been most successful. In that series, an 1864 paper by G G Stokes, 'On the Reduction and Oxidation of the Colouring Matter of Blood, '3 begins a century-long excursion leading to the X-ray structure of hemoglobin by Perutz et al. 4 (Primary and supplementary reading lists are available on request.) The early parts of this sequence provide ample opportunity for demonstrations and the review of the fundamental aspects of chemistry, such as pH, solubility, spectroscopy, nomenclature, oxidation, reduction, gas laws, and stoichiometry. Topics such as racism 5-7 and the ethics of self-experimentation8'9 emerge when particular research articles are used. Term Paper In addition to the readings that are the focus of classroom discussions, each student writes a substantive term paper. It must deal with the lives of two prominent biochemists of the student's choice. After exhausting the usual library resources, all students are strongly encouraged to interview their subjects or people who knew them. (For several students the terrifying prospect of interviewing a Nobel Prize winner was resolved in a gratifying life experience.) Based on the accumulated information, a theme integrating the life and research of the two biochemists is developed in a 10- to 20-page term paper. Guest Speakers Near the end of the semester when students tend to become immersed in writing their term papers and spend less time preparing for class discussions, guest speakers present special topics. Frequently colleagues discuss some aspect of their research that would be appropriate for an

23 undergraduate to work on in the next year. Other subjects have been presented by guest historians, writers, and philosophers.

Biochemistry in Khartoum
ABDULLAH A DAFALLAH*

Evaluation
Evaluations by students have been excellent. In particular, they like the small class size that allows them to participate in discussions and to get to know their classmates and the instructor. They also like the focus on science as a human activity which they contrast to their other science courses that emphasize learning copious amounts of information in a large lecture setting. Most appreciate the essay examinations. While one objective of this course was to provide a perspective on the science of biochemistry, there is no indication whether these students perform better in the subsequent information-based biochemistry courses. However, compared to chemistry majors, a relatively large proportion have elected to work on research projects in their junior and senior years. Several students have gone on to take science-related writing courses and humanities courses as a result of taking Introduction to Biochemistry. For instructors used to the control provided by a lecture format, the discussion format presents special challenges. There are great day-to-day and year-to-year variations in the quality of the class. Tangential unanticipated discussions are frequent and must be managed without preparation. The presence or absence of one or two selfconfident students who are willing to ask questions and speculate often defines the character of the whole course. Grading subjective examinations and evaluating term papers is time consuming and painful, but in the process a great deal of productive and much appreciated feedback can be provided. Instructors planning to teach such a course must also anticipate that most of their students will return later to request letters of recommendation for jobs or graduate schools. Introduction to Biochemistry has provided a well received new dimension to the education of our majors. It has also attracted the interest of a variety of colleagues who are interested in adapting the format to other subjects or other audiences.
References
1Epstein, H T (1970) A Strategy for Education, Oxford University Press, New York 2Epstein, H T (1972) Nature 235, 203-205 3Stokes, G G (1864) Proc Royal Soc London 13, 355-364 4Perutz, M F, Muirhead, H, Cox, H M and Goaman, L C G (1968) Nature 219, 133-139 5Herrick, J E (1910) Arch Internal Med 6, 517-521 6Savitt, T L and Goldberg, M F (1989) J A m Med Soc 261,266-271 7Diggs, L W, Ahmann, G F and Bibb, J (1933) Annals Internal Med 7, 769-778 SHaldane, J S (1895) J Physiol 18, 430-462 9Shemin, D and Rittenberg, D (1946) J Biol Chem 166, 627-636

Department of Biochemistry College of Medicine and Medical Sciences King Faisal University, Dammam Saudi Arabia
Introduction
The medical school of Khartoum is one of the oldest in Africa and the Middle East. It was founded in 1924 as the Kitchener School of Medicine which was amalgamated with the University of Khartoum in the early fifties. Over the past 60 years it has developed from a small college whose main objective was to produce medical practitioners needed for running the Sudan Medical Service into The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Khartoum, to one whose objective is to produce medical graduates capable of specializing in the various branches of modern medicine and medical sciences in addition to general medical practice. One of the most remarkable achievements of this process was the development of the Department of Biochemistry. Biochemistry was taught as a part of physiology up to 1959 when a separate Department of Biochemistry was founded. The first head of the Department was Dr R K Adams. He was succeeded by Dr S A Ibrahim who presided over a remarkable expansion and development of the department. During that time the department had an excellent group of enthusiastic full time academic staff. One of them was Dr Francis Vella who in collaboration with Dr Ibrahim initiated the studies on haemoglobinopathies which has continued as one of the main areas of research in the department to the present day.

Teaching activities
The department teaches biochemistry to medical, dental and pharmacy students. The total annual intake is about 270 students with a full time academic staff of 6-8 members, most of them medically qualified. The course is designed to cover the basic principles of general molecular biochemistry which is required by all students of biochemistry, and the more specialized human biochemistry which is required by medical students. In order to meet these requirements two courses are offered: (1) Cell Biochemistry The duration of this course is one year. It is offered to second-year medical and dental students in addition to third-year pharmacy students. The course introduces students to the structure and functions of macromolecules and the basic principles of cell metabolism. The general properties of enzymes and the structure and biochemical roles of water-soluble and fatsoluble vitamins are dealt with in detail. The course is supplemented by one on dental biochemistry and one on pharmaceutical biochemistry.
* Head, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Khartoum up to August 1989

BIOCHEMICAL EDUCATION 20(1) 1992

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