Alex Wright, Bethany Jeffery and Dave Beal develop a bioconjugation-based lab to teach protein modification and electrophoresis to undergraduate chemists
SISC is pleased to highlight the recent publication of an educational research article in the Journal of Chemical Education by Alex Wright, David Beal, and Bethany Jeffery, a Biochemistry MSc student at the University of Kent. Titled “Egg with PEG – A Lysozyme Based Experiment to Teach Protein Modification and Gel Electrophoresis to Chemistry Undergraduates”, the paper presents a creative and accessible laboratory exercise for second-year chemistry students.
The experiment introduces students to key concepts in protein PEGylation and SDS-PAGE gel electrophoresis, broadening their understanding of bioconjugation techniques and reinforcing interdisciplinary links between chemistry, biochemistry, and chemical biology. Over the course of a six-hour lab, students explore the PEGylation of lysozyme using PEG-maleimide reagents and varying reaction conditions, including chain length, reducing agent concentration, and denaturants.
Tested over two academic years, the lab was shown to promote deeper theoretical understanding while providing practical training in widely used biochemical techniques. This work underlines the growing strength of educational research within SISC and demonstrates how thoughtfully designed teaching activities can enrich the undergraduate chemistry experience.
The article is available Open Access here.