Abstract
Enzyme kinetics is an essential part of biochemistry programs, which have been gaining importance in recent years for their applications in biotechnology and biomedicine. The teaching and learning of these issues has been traditionally hampered by difficulties that stem mainly from the dynamic and mathematical nature of the topic and the introduction of some abstract concepts. In this paper, we propose a simple, home-made application developed in Excel or, alternatively, in Libre Office (SIMENKIN), which allows students to view and interact with the dynamics of enzymatic reactions. The contribution of this specific application stems from the simulation of substrate loss and the associated initial rate of the enzyme catalysed reaction over time, which is not always incorporated into these packages. We illustrate its use applying it in a practical problem-solving approach module, designed to facilitate the learning of the fundamental concepts of enzyme kinetics.
Highlights
The teaching of enzyme kinetics has been a central, unavoidable part of biochemistry courses for almost 40 years
An important point to be underlined is how teaching traditionally difficult topics such as those involved in enzyme kinetics can be facilitated by the use of the SIMENKIN application
This is a key feature that is not implemented in most available programs for the teaching of enzyme kinetics
Summary
The teaching of enzyme kinetics has been a central, unavoidable part of biochemistry courses for almost 40 years. The aim of the enzyme kinetics model obtained under steady-state conditions is to estimate the values of Km and Vmax by assigning sets of initial reaction rate and substrate concentration to the Michaelis–Menten equation:. The abstract nature of the underlying model and the ‘static’ presentation of the mathematical formulae (where time is not explicit) are natural difficulties in teaching this subject, which is further complicated by the somewhat enigmatic relationship between reaction rate and substrate concentration This all together makes the subject difficult to comprehend and apply for many students. The module was designed to prepare students to relate the content of the enzyme kinetics lessons to a real world situation, and solving a given problem through activities and investigations based on the theories, concepts and principles that they have previously learned This learning strategy helps to develop problem-solving skills through practice and students are trained to have thinking skills, being able to justify with proofs and find alternatives solutions (Browne & Keeley, 1990). We have prompted our students to use it in a practical problem-solving exercise, where application of the fundamental concepts of enzyme kinetics is required
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