Synthesis and Analysis of Carbohydrate-based hydrogels
Rebecca Connor, Dickinson College
This CURE has been developed for first-year general chemistry students with a strong background in chemistry who have elected to take an accelerated one-semester general chemistry course. In this CURE, students will have the opportunity to study controlled drug release from carbohydrate-based hydrogels or protein purification using carbohydrate based hydrogels. After learning some basic lab skills and developing their ability to read the primary literature, the students will use what they have learned to design a new synthesis of a carbohydrate-based hydrogel. They will evaluate their hydrogels for mechanical properties and ability to absorb and release model drugs. After their first set of experiments, the class will meet in a "group-meeting" and they will present and discuss their in-progress data. The students will then propose their next set of experiments and perform them. They will write a formal report at the end of the semester detailing their methods used, results generated, and a comparison of their results to the published literature.