1-800-452-1261
Log In
Price: $174.91
Ships directly from the manufacturer.
This item can only be shipped to schools, museums and science centers
The Biofuel Enzyme Reactions Kit for AP Biology is a student-driven, inquiry-based kit that characterizes the activity of the cellobiase enzyme. In this ThINQ! Investigation, students will play the role of bioengineer to explore the power of enzyme kinetics and optimize conditions that will maximize the rate of sugar conversion for the production of biofuel.
Students first extract cellobiase from mushrooms to discover one way that nature uses enzymes. They then generate questions and hypotheses about enzyme function under different environmental conditions — temperature, pH, and concentrations — that influence enzyme function. Students can take a structured, guided, or open approach to inquiry as they test their hypotheses. Finally, with data in hand, students use evidence to create a list of conditions for optimal enzymatic activity for biofuel production.
The flexible curriculum will fit within a broad range of available laboratory times. A possible arrangement is:
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel derived from plant matter. Cellulose is a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants; and cellobiose is a disaccharide constituent of cellulose. The breakdown of cellulose into smaller sugars is a multistep process that is facilitated by a family of enzymes called cellulases. Each cellulase has its own role in processing cellulose from a long strand of glucoses down to single units that can then undergo microbial fermentation to produce ethanol.
A key step in the production of cellulosic ethanol is the breakdown of cellobiose by the cellobiase enzyme. Students test and calculate the conversion rate of a sugar substrate (p–nitrophenyl glucopyranoside) to p–nitrophenol and glucose in the presence or absence of cellobiase.
Bio-Rad Item No.: 17001235EDU
Please note that, though some items may be shipped at ambient temperatures to reduce shipping costs, some items are to be stored refrigerated or frozen upon receipt to ensure longevity.
Please store this family of kits at 4°C.
The Biofuel Enzyme Reactions Kit for AP Biology is a student-driven, inquiry-based kit that characterizes the activity of the cellobiase enzyme. In this ThINQ! Investigation, students will play the role of bioengineer to explore the power of enzyme kinetics and optimize conditions that will maximize the rate of sugar conversion for the production of biofuel.
Students first extract cellobiase from mushrooms to discover one way that nature uses enzymes. They then generate questions and hypotheses about enzyme function under different environmental conditions — temperature, pH, and concentrations — that influence enzyme function. Students can take a structured, guided, or open approach to inquiry as they test their hypotheses. Finally, with data in hand, students use evidence to create a list of conditions for optimal enzymatic activity for biofuel production.
The flexible curriculum will fit within a broad range of available laboratory times. A possible arrangement is:
Cellulosic ethanol is a biofuel derived from plant matter. Cellulose is a polysaccharide found in the cell walls of plants; and cellobiose is a disaccharide constituent of cellulose. The breakdown of cellulose into smaller sugars is a multistep process that is facilitated by a family of enzymes called cellulases. Each cellulase has its own role in processing cellulose from a long strand of glucoses down to single units that can then undergo microbial fermentation to produce ethanol.
A key step in the production of cellulosic ethanol is the breakdown of cellobiose by the cellobiase enzyme. Students test and calculate the conversion rate of a sugar substrate (p–nitrophenyl glucopyranoside) to p–nitrophenol and glucose in the presence or absence of cellobiase.
