Issue #3: May 22, 2024
Welcome to this special memorial issue!
Explore below as Paul’s beloved partner, Maya Cornejo,
introduces us to the fascinating world of biochemistry.
What’s Inside this Issue?
- Featured Article: Read an engaging article that introduces us to the field of biochemistry.
- Hands-On Activities: Engage in a fun activity to harvest DNA from strawberries.
- About the Author: Meet our biochemist.
- Biochemistry: Bridging Equity and Sustainability: Examine how biochemistry can help advance equity and sustainability.
- Courses, Programs, and Careers: Explores courses, programs, and career options.
- Basic Concepts and Terminology: Explore basic concepts and key terminology.
Featured Article
Exploring the Wonders of Metabolism and Biochemistry
By Maya Cornejo
You probably already knew that the blueprint for your body is encoded in your DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid), copied into each of your cells. Did you know that humans share genetic similarities not only with mammals like chimpanzees, but also with plants such as bananas and lettuce? Exploring genetics and its connections across various living organisms falls under the realm of biochemistry.
What is Biochemistry?
Biochemistry is the study of chemistry within living things but it can be so much more than just mixing chemicals in a lab. This interdisciplinary field combines concepts from physics, chemistry, and biology, allowing researchers to ask unique questions about the chemical processes within biological organisms and find innovative ways to answer them.
From uncovering the structure of proteins, developing better ways to deliver medicinal treatments, and even studying how disease can affect our bodies on a molecular scale, biochemistry opens up a molecular treasure trove of discovery. Every day, you figure out how intricate puzzle pieces fit together and uncover clues hidden within the molecules of life.
The Marvels of Biochemical Reactions
Biochemistry is an incredible science that allows us to dive into the nitty-gritty of living organisms while gaining an understanding of how complex molecules interact with each other in living systems.
Exploring the chemical reactions transpiring within our bodies is one of biochemistry’s most thrilling aspects. These reactions tend to be very specific and highly regulated, with molecules coming together, breaking apart, and rearranging themselves in precise ways. Biochemistry typically involves things we don’t think about, like how food gets broken down from a slice of pizza to an individual sugar complex. For example, when you eat a slice of pizza, a fleet of enzymes and proteins work together to break down the carbohydrates, proteins, and fats in the food into smaller molecules that can be used as fuel for other processes.
This process involves a series of biochemical reactions that take place in your digestive system, turning your pizza into energy that fuels your body’s activities. This is just one of many reactions that take place in the human body. Biochemistry is a world where tiny molecules hold the secrets to life and provide us with the tools we need for everyday life.
Why Biochemistry Matters
Understanding biochemistry has the power to help us find cures for diseases, develop new medicines, improve agricultural practices, and even create sustainable energy sources. In the past century, scientists have made groundbreaking discoveries that have changed the world, particularly in medicine. Recent innovations include genetic testing and targeted therapy for cancer. Genetic testing is a technique that analyzes an individual’s DNA and allows them to discover their genetic predispositions for various diseases. This knowledge allows for early/preventative intervention in addition to more personalized healthcare strategies. By identifying genetic markers associated with conditions like cancer or heart-related disorders, individuals can proactively manage their health, facilitating timely screenings and treatments to mitigate disease risks. This empowers individuals to take control of their health and well-being in a way that works best for them.
Targeted therapy treats cancer by targeting proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide, and spread. Credit: National Cancer Institute
With a tool like genetic testing, diseases like cancer can also be caught and treated early; however, traditional cancer treatments like chemotherapy harm healthy cells while killing cancer cells. This is where biochemistry can offer a smarter and less toxic approach: targeted therapies. With the power of biochemistry, scientists can pinpoint the molecular weaknesses of cancer cells. This allows for drug design specifically targeting these vulnerabilities, sparing healthy cells and minimizing side effects. For instance, in certain types of breast cancer, biochemists discovered that some cancer cells overproduce a protein called HER2. To target the HER2 protein, researchers developed drugs like Herceptin which block recognition of HER2 by the cell and stop cancer cells from growing and dividing. These targeted therapies have revolutionized cancer treatment, offering hope to patients with fewer severe side effects and better overall outcomes. Additionally, targeted therapies and immunotherapies have the potential to reduce disparities in cancer treatment outcomes by providing more effective and tolerable treatment options accessible to a more diverse range of patients.
Take the COVID-19 pandemic as another example of the power that biochemistry has. Scientists dove headfirst into the molecular mysteries of the virus, racing to develop vaccines and understand how the disease attacked our bodies. Structural biologists worked hard to uncover the crown-like structure of SARS-CoV2 that we all know today using techniques such as Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM). Cryo-EM is an imaging technique used to visualize three-dimensional (3D) structures of biological macromolecules at near-atomic resolution by rapidly freezing them to incredibly low temperatures. After freezing the molecules are bombarded with a beam of electrons
Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM). Credit: CPR
Other researchers worked on developing mRNA vaccines that provided a new and simple way of delivering vaccines quickly and safely to people to protect them against disease. Some researchers also helped identify the virus’s mechanism of action and that research led to the rapid identification of patients afflicted with this disease. All of these scientists combined were able to build the foundation of disease prevention. These efforts made by scientists contributed to ensuring equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines. By enabling the development of diverse vaccine platforms, including mRNA, viral vector, and protein-based vaccines, biochemistry has diversified the vaccine supply, allowing countries to access vaccines that meet their specific needs and infrastructure requirements.
mRNA vaccines contain the instructions for making the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Credit: Pfizer
These examples showcase how biochemistry isn’t just about understanding the inner workings of life—it’s about using that knowledge to save lives and make a real difference in the world.
Join the Adventure
Whether you’re interested in medicine, structure solving, or you’re just curious about what goes on in your body on a molecular level, biochemistry opens up endless possibilities for exploring how life works at its smallest levels, inviting us to discover and innovate in exciting new ways.
Hands-on Activities
Strawberry DNA Extraction
Cells are the building blocks that make up a lot of things we know, such as plants and animals. Deoxyribonucleic acid, also known as DNA, is a molecule inside our cells that acts like a book of instructions for the cell and determines what the cell can become. DNA tells our cells what color our hair or eyes should be and even tells our cells to arrange themselves in the proper configuration with the help of other molecules, like enzymes, to make the cell what it is.
In this experiment, you will be harvesting DNA from a strawberry. Strawberries have 4 times the amount of DNA than humans do and because of that, you can see DNA a lot easier in an experiment like this. Feel free to try this experiment with other fruits and see how much DNA you can get from them compared to the strawberries.
What you need for this experiment:
about how to extract DNA from a strawberry is available at this link.
- Grab one of your plastic cups and combine the dish soap, table salt, and water. This will be your DNA extraction liquid. Set this aside for later. The dish soap will break down the cell membrane and free the DNA trapped inside the cell! The salt in this mixture will also help release the DNA from any proteins that may be wrapped up with the DNA.
- Now, begin gathering your strawberries and pull off the green leaves on top.
- Place your strawberries into the plastic Ziploc bag and try to have as little air as possible in your bag as you seal it shut.
- Gently mash your strawberries in the bag until most of it is like juice. The more you mash, the more cells will be accessible for you to get DNA from. This is a mechanical breakdown of the strawberry, similar to how your teeth chew up and break down food into smaller pieces before going to your stomach.
- Open your bag, and pour the DNA extraction liquid you made earlier into the bag with mashed strawberries.
- Reseal the bag and gently massage the extraction liquid and strawberries together. Try not to make too many soap bubbles. This is now the chemical breakdown of the strawberry, similar to how the acid in your stomach will chemically break down the food even smaller for your body to absorb and use for energy.
- Take your coffee filter or strainer and place it into your other plastic cup.
- Pour your strawberry/DNA extraction mixture into the coffee filter/strainer and let it flow into the plastic cup. Make sure that the solid portions of the strawberry don’t get into your cup.
- Gently pour an equal amount of cold rubbing alcohol as strawberry mixture along the inside of the cup. DO NOT MIX THEM YET! There should be two separate layers for now. You should start to see the top layer get a little cloudy. DNA is not soluble in alcohol so you can see it in this layer.
- Take your coffee stirrer, insert it into the top layer and gently swirl the mixture. You should start to see a stringy and cloudy clump form on your stirrer passing through the top liquid layer. This is the strawberry DNA! If you mix too fast, you won’t be able to pick up the DNA with your stirrer.
- Now that you have the DNA on your stirrer, raise your stick up and take a look at the DNA! Take a photo! Try other fruits and see how much DNA you can get in comparison to the strawberry.
- A lab test to check the DNA out would cost a lot of money and take time and special equipment, but just extracting the DNA is pretty cool, isn’t it? Because it was processed using things like alcohol and dish detergent, we should not eat this DNA. After you’re done, you should probably throw it in the trash, as it is not too harmful to the environment. As an aside, when we eat fresh strawberries, we’re also eating strawberry DNA, right? Then, why don’t we turn into a strawberry if we eat one?! The answer is that when we eat strawberries, they get broken down into the individual components but the DNA won’t be able to alter our genetic makeup. It is much more difficult to alter our genes.
About the Author
Hi there, my name is Maya, and it is an honor to introduce you all to the captivating world of biochemistry! My journey in academia began at UC Berkeley, where I earned my Bachelor’s in Molecular and Cellular Biology. It was during my time at Berkeley that I first crossed paths with Paul. We met while I was facilitating a course called UC Hogwarts: The Wonderful Wizarding World of Harry Potter, and Paul happened to be one of the students in the class. We clicked almost instantly and became very good friends, later on, we became a couple. Paul was always an unwavering source of support, encouraging me to pursue my passion for biochemistry and supported me in my goal of obtaining a PhD. Currently, I am a graduate student pursuing a PhD in Biochemistry at UCLA. My research focuses on investigating the relationship between misregulated protein import into the mitochondria and diseases like early-onset Parkinson’s Disease. I hope to leave a lasting mark through my scientific research, channeling my passion for science into meaningful contributions.
Bridging Equity and Sustainability
It’s Not Fair, It’s Not Right: Applications of Biochemistry to Equity
Picture this: Your neighborhood is next to a big, grimy factory, with a large carbon footprint. You breathe in smog while other people living farther away enjoy clean air. When one community bears the brunt of pollution because of where they live, we do not have equity. One definition of equity means that we share evenly, meaning sharing the good, bad, or otherwise. It’s better to prevent environmental problems before they occur, but sometimes when a product is made or a service performed, we need to clean up the environment afterward. With biochemistry, we can use tiny superheroes (microbes!) to clean up our messes. For example, ‘biochem’ plays a role in wastewater treatment. In treatment plants, microorganisms are responsible for the breakdown of organic waste. In addition, multiple chemical reactions are responsible for filtering water before it enters local waterways for reuse. It’s time to raise our voices for fair treatment and push for clean technologies that benefit everyone, no matter their zip code. Biochemistry could solve many problems, before and after they occur.
Dive into the Dirty Details: Applications of Biochemistry to Sustainability
Biochemistry isn’t just about investigating problems; it’s about creating solutions! For starters, understanding biochemical processes, besides being instrumental to helping sustain healthy plant and animal life, can help us make more cleanly-manufactured products. For example, fermentation techniques using microbes can produce desirable liquids, like vinegar for food production and ethanol to make biofuels. Biofuel blends are fuels for our engines that are made in a relatively short time from renewable sources, such as from vegetation, or from bio-waste such as used cooking oil, often adding ethanol to the mix. One advantage of jet aircraft biofuels, for instance, is that they may cut emissions up to 80% compared to traditional petroleum-based fuels. Another advantage of these Sustainable Aviation Fuels is that they can be made locally without the need to extract petroleum from the ground, whether domestically or overseas. Biochemists are working on ways to make biofuels that don’t compete with our food production. Their efforts are turning science fiction into reality, all while saving the planet!
and Careers
Ready to Dive Deeper into Biochemistry?
So you’ve unlocked the fascinating world of biochemistry! Now, if you’re interested in pursuing a degree and becoming a full-fledged biochemist, here’s what you can focus on in high school:
- STEM coursework: Having a fundamental understanding of biology and chemistry are a must! Alegbra, calculus, statistics, and physics can help you with college level requirements and with getting some of the basics down. Many of these subjects will be used in undergraduate level courses so getting a feel for the subjects now can help prepare you later!
- Improving your skill set: Participate in science fairs and lab tours if offered to your school. Getting to see a lab environment can help your curiosity grow. See if you can find someone in the biochemistry field who is willing to answer questions you may have about being a biochemist. This will not only help you learn how to communicate with others in a professional setting but will also help prepare you for what’s next.
- Be curious: Don’t be afraid to ask questions and never stop yourself from thinking critically. Being a problem solver and out-of-the-box thinker will get you far as a researcher. Allow your curiosity to flourish!
What Can You Do with a Biochemistry Degree?
Biochemistry offers a wide range of career paths, allowing you to explore various opportunities tailored to your interests and passions. To pursue biochemistry as a profession, you’ll move on to college and get a degree in Biochemistry, Cellular Biology, or Molecular Biology. Those degree programs will cover biochemistry-related topics.
Biochemistry programs to pursue research or to teach are generally given at the graduate level, so that means earning a master’s degree or a PhD if you want to do those things. Biochemists, like the majority of working people today, eventually choose a specialization. When they do, they can enter any of the many sub-categories of biochemistry, as described in the above sections.
In general, a biochemistry degree opens doors to a wide range of exciting careers! Here are some occupational options to consider, as you develop your plans:
- Lab-Focused Roles:
- Biochemist: Conduct research on the building blocks of life, exploring their properties and interactions in living things.
- Biomedical Scientist: Analyze blood, tissue, and other samples in hospitals or labs to diagnose diseases.
- Research Scientist: Investigate various areas like biotechnology or healthcare, conducting research in academic and research institutions. Specifically, consider topics such as pharmaceutical drug development, genetic engineering, biochemical waste remediation, or biofuel development, as they all use biochemical techniques.
- Forensic Scientist: Apply biochemistry to analyze evidence from crime scenes, using DNA testing and toxicology to aid investigations.
- Beyond the Lab Bench:
- Teacher: Share your passion for science and inspire the next generation of biochemists!
- Science Writer: Communicate complex scientific concepts about biochemistry to the public in a clear and engaging way.
- Environmental Scientist: Use your knowledge of biochemical processes to tackle environmental challenges like pollution or sustainable resource management.
- Medical Science Liaison: Bridge the gap between scientists and doctors, explaining new biochemical research and its applications in medicine.
This is not an exhaustive list! Many other careers leverage a biochem degree, so explore your interests. What interests you most?
and Terminology
- Biochemistry
- Different types of vaccines (Ex: Viral vector, mRNA, protein based, etc.)
- Macromolecules (Ex: Carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids)
- Proteins
- Nucleic acids (Ex: DNA, RNA, etc.)
- Methods for determining protein structure
- Genetic markers
- Genetic testing
- Chemotherapy vs. immunotherapy
- Immunotherapies for cancer
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