Abstract
A laboratory exercise that introduces differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) is presented. In order to connect this basic physical chemistry technique with an application in the biological sciences, students investigated the thermodynamic properties of lipid-bilayer model compounds. DSC was used to characterize the gel-to-liquid-crystal transition for three phosphatidylcholines of varying acyl chain length. The laboratory exercise is suitable only for students with some background in physical chemistry and biochemistry.
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Koyama, T.M., Stevens, C.R., Borda, E.J. et al. Characterizing the Gel to Liquid Crystal Transition in Lipid-Bilayer Model Systems. Chem. Educator 4, 12–15 (1999). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00897990273a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00897990273a