In the Classroom
The Proteomics Stock Market Project A Cross-Disciplinary Collaboration in Biochemistry and Business Education Heath Keller Department of Management, Marketing and Business Administration, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071 James R. Cox* Department of Chemistry, Murray State University, Murray, KY, 42071; *
[email protected] Many instructors begin each semester with thoughts on how to do a better job of teaching the ever-expanding field of biochemistry. Finding enough time to cover relevant topics can be difficult, especially in a survey course. In the onesemester biochemistry course at Murray State University (CHE 330), proteins are the focus of the course. Even though topics dealing with nucleic acids, lipids, and carbohydrates are discussed, the fact that these molecules often make complexes with proteins is emphasized. When discussing metabolic pathways, the structure–function relationship of protein-based enzymes is reviewed and highlighted. This approach works well as a majority of the students are preprofessional chemistry and biology majors that also take courses such as genetics, microbiology, and cell biology where topics not covered in CHE 330 are discussed. A difficult aspect of this course is conveying the importance of proteins in modern medicine, biotechnology, and the agricultural sciences. In general, the textbook for the course provides useful information in this area, although it does not adequately address the impact that protein-based technologies are having in today’s society. The area of proteomics—the study of proteins on a large scale—has grown with the sequencing of the human genome (1, 2). Biochemistry students at all levels need to appreciate and understand the importance of proteomics and how this area is influencing the larger scientific community and even global financial markets. The fact that many topics need to be covered in the allotted time has made it difficult to take the time to address the relevant nature of the material and give students a broader perspective of biochemistry other than just applying chemical principles to biological systems, pathways, and molecules. In an effort to provide more supporting information and actively engage students in the material, we developed a class project termed the Proteomics Stock Market Project.1 This project combines biochemical and marketing concepts, technology, writing assignments, and group work. A unique collaborative effort between two disciplines, chemistry and business, resulted in a project that captured the students’ interest, better engaging them in the course material. Introduction to the Project The Proteomics Stock Market Project was a multistage collaborative exercise that involved courses from the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Management, Marketing, and Business Administration at Murray State University. Students in Basic Biochemistry (CHE 330), Principles of Marketing (MKT 360), and Fundamentals of Management www.JCE.DivCHED.org
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(MGT 350) participated in a project that focused on companies involved in proteomics research. This project was initiated early in the biochemistry course to give students an appreciation for the importance of proteins, even before they were covered in lecture. Students needed to learn the importance of proteomics to the biomedical and agricultural sciences and appreciate the large number of companies that use protein-based technologies in their research and development efforts (3, 4). This also presented an excellent opportunity for a cross-disciplinary collaboration between courses that would normally not have any interaction. A key ingredient to the implementation of this project was the utilization of Blackboard (version 5.0; ref 5 ) in all three courses. Blackboard is a server software product used to deliver online courses, such as MKT 360 and MGT 350, or to enhance traditional face-to-face courses, such as CHE 330. The ability to exchange information between students and the instructor through Blackboard was vital to the management of the three stages of this project. For example, Blackboard allowed both instructors to communicate effectively with the large number of students in their courses and to place them into working groups to participate in class projects. The management of several groups in a large class can be difficult, but the tools available in Blackboard provide the interactivity and flexibility to organize group projects. The External Links area and Digital Drop Box of Blackboard were particularly useful in the coordination of the group projects. Each stage of the project utilized a variety of Web sites and placing the URLs in organized folders in the External Links area helped the students navigate to the appropriate sites. The Digital Drop Box allowed the student groups to electronically submit assignments associated with the group projects. This was advantageous to both students and instructors as it avoided the use of email attachments and floppy disks, which can be problematic methods of electronic document delivery. After a brief introduction of the project was given to the biochemistry students in class, most of the information concerning the project was delivered through Blackboard. At Murray State University, students have become comfortable with obtaining information and course materials through Blackboard and the small quantity of class time devoted to the project was not a problem. Although teaching assistants were not available in this situation, they could also serve as a resource for the students. It should be noted that programs such as Blackboard or WebCT are not essential to the management of the project in the biochemistry course. Information concerning the project (Web sites, instructions, etc.) can be placed on a traditional Web page or distributed through
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handouts. Instead of communicating to the student groups via Blackboard, instructors could spend additional time in lecture discussing various aspects of the project. Approximately three weeks were allotted for each stage of the project. In the biochemistry course, this quantity of time was appropriate because the students had to complete the project while studying for quizzes and examinations normally associated with the course. Overall, students seemed appreciative of this time interval as it provided plenty of time to work on projects in other courses and to arrange group meetings. Stage I was started before the topic of proteins was introduced. Thus, the students already had an appreciation for the importance of proteins and proteomics before amino acids were introduced. The molecular visualization component of Stage III was started at a time when the structure of proteins and protein–ligand complexes involving nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids were being discussed in class. Even though this project was completed by students outside of class, it served to reinforce important topics covered in lecture. It was not a requirement that the biochemistry students be enrolled in the management or marketing courses as each course acted as an independent unit in the project. However, one student was enrolled in the biochemistry and marketing courses and six students were enrolled in both the management and marketing courses. The project accounted for 8% of the points available in the biochemistry course and 10% of the points available in the management and marketing courses. Stage I Stage I of the project involved student groups (3–4 members) in CHE 330 formulating a working definition of proteomics and investigating a variety of companies whose mission statement involves proteomics. To help students compose a definition of proteomics, several links to Web sites dealing with proteomics were placed in the External Links area of Blackboard. The students were encouraged to visit related Web sites and periodicals to launch their own investigation of proteomics. The students used the Internet to select a company involved in proteomics research. Initially, students were encouraged to visit http://www.bio.com (accessed Jan 2004), a Web site containing a wealth of information on the biological sciences. Visitors to the site can enter the Industry Analysis area to find profiles of companies involved in a variety of research areas, such as proteomics, genomics, and bioinformatics. Students also found information about specific companies during their investigation of proteomics. The selection of companies was limited to those that are publicly held (buy and sell stock) and have research or product development efforts related to proteomics. The student groups were asked to choose one company in which they would like to buy stock based on their newly acquired knowledge of proteomics and the potential of the company to make an impact on modern medicine or biotechnology. The groups chose their company based only on the scientific objectives of the company and not their business plan or an investment analysis. Even though Blackboard provides an opportunity for students in a group to communicate electronically, most 520
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Table 1. Companies Selected by the Biochemistry Students in Stage I Stock Symbol
Company
Web Site
MDS Proteomics
MDS
www.mdsproteomics.com
Keryx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc.
KRX
www.keryx.com
Amgen
AMGN
www.amgen.com
Ciphergen Biosystems, Inc.
CIPH
www.ciphergen.com
Large Scale Biology Corp.
LSBC
www.lsbc.com
Millennium Pharmaceuticals MLNM
www.millennium.com
Myriad Genetics
www.myriad.com
MYGN
NOTE: All Web sites accessed Jan 2004.
of the biochemistry students met in person to discuss issues related to the project. Students completed Stage I by submitting a Microsoft (MS) Word document via the Digital Drop Box in Blackboard. Instead of submitting the documents electronically, student groups could have submitted their MS Word files on floppy disks or even in printed form. One part of the assignment was to define and provide an overview of proteomics along with relevant sources of information. Another part of the assignment was a description of the company chosen by the group and the rationale for choosing that particular company. The groups also provided the stock symbol of the company and the sources used to gather the information. To ensure anonymity for Stage II of the project, the names of the students were removed from the MS Word files before being delivered to the management and marketing students. The companies selected in Stage I of the project are listed in Table 1, along with stock symbols and Web page URLs. Stage II In this stage, the marketing and management student groups were asked to research an assigned company based on its business model, marketing plan, and industry growth potential. This research took the form of a SWOT (strengths– weaknesses–opportunities–threats) analysis that identified each organization’s internal strengths and weaknesses and their external opportunities and threats. In addition to the formal SWOT analysis, the students also included a conclusion and recommendation section that consisted of an explanation of whether the company was worthy of investment. The MGT 350 student groups concentrated on attributes, such as organizational structure, mission, vision, and culture. They were also asked to construct a BCG (Boston Consulting Group) matrix to gauge growth potential and market share. The MKT 360 student groups were asked to pay close attention to the marketing mix or the four Ps of marketing (product, price, promotion, and place). Each group submitted the SWOT analysis, along with relevant references, in a MS Word document via the Digital Drop Box in Blackboard. Any student names on the SWOT analyses were removed to ensure anonymity in case they were chosen for Stage
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III of the project or used for another project in a future semester. In this particular case, the use of electronic document delivery was essential as MKT 360 and MGT 350 are online courses. Stage III Stage III of this project once again involved the biochemistry students. For logistical reasons, only one company, Millennium Pharmaceuticals, was carried forward for analysis in the final stage of the project. The biochemistry groups were supplied with (through Blackboard) three different SWOT analyses of Millennium Pharmaceuticals. They were also asked to become familiar with the research and development aspects of the company by visiting its Web page (6). This was important as only one group in the course had previously investigated Millennium Pharmaceuticals in Stage I. This stage of the project was broken up into three different assignments. The first assignment involved evaluating the three SWOT analyses generated in Stage II of the project. The biochemistry groups were asked to decide which analysis provided them with the best information concerning the business plan of the company. They used this information along with the information derived from the scientific investigation of the company to decide if a monetary investment in this company was warranted. After this assignment was submitted, $1,000 of virtual money was invested in Millennium Pharmaceuticals at the Yahoo Finance Page (7). The progress of the investment was followed the last few weeks of the semester just to give the students experience in following the market trends of a company involved in proteomics and biopharmaceutical research. The students were not graded on this aspect of the project as it was used to give them an appreciation for the work involved in Stage II. In the second assignment, student groups focused on a particular therapeutic product of Millennium Pharmaceuticals. CamPath (Alemtuzumab) is a monoclonal antibody developed by the pharmaceutical company in conjunction with ILEX Oncology, Inc. The humanized form of this antibody, Campath-1H, has been used successfully to treat lymphomas and lymphoid leukemia (8). Students were asked to write a short paper describing the therapeutic basis of CamPath, including its mode of action and biological target. The structure Campath-1H was the focus of the third assignment in Stage III of the project. A crystal structure of the CamPath-1H Fab fragment complexed with a synthetic peptide antigen is available in the Protein Data Bank (PDB; code: 1CE1; ref 9). The student groups were first asked to describe the molecular architecture of an antibody and define what is meant by a Fab fragment. The structural nature of Campath-1H was also investigated using Protein Explorer, a molecular visualization program (10). Students became familiar with the use of Protein Explorer as the groups went through training sessions at the beginning of the semester in anticipation of this project and another project involving macromolecular visualization. The student groups then answered questions concerning the heavy and light chains of the antibody and specific noncovalent interactions that contribute to the stability of the Fab fragment and the antibody–antigen complex. The www.JCE.DivCHED.org
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Figure 1. (Left) The structure of CamPath-1H in complex with a synthetic antigen (PDB Code: 1CE1). (Right) An expanded view of the antigen-binding site showing an ionic interaction between an aspartate residue of the antigen (chain P) and a lysine residue of the heavy chain.
structure of the antibody–antigen complex indicating the arrangement of the heavy chain, light chain, and antigen is shown on the left in Figure 1. An ionic interaction between Lys-56 of the heavy chain and Asp-7 of the synthetic antigen is shown on the right in Figure 1. A student group correctly identified this interaction as an important contact between the heavy chain and the bound antigen. In their description of this interaction, the students discussed the nature of the interaction and the geometric or distance features of the interaction that contribute to the stability of the antibody–antigen complex. The visualization aspect of this assignment is complementary to other graphics-based exercises in the course as the search for noncovalent interactions in proteins and protein complexes has become an integral part of the biochemistry curriculum at Murray State University (11, 12). The analysis of Campath-1H also allowed the topic of antibody structure to be addressed, an area that would not normally have much exposure in CHE 330. All of the written work in the Stage III assignments were collected into one MS Word document and submitted by the student groups to the Digital Drop Box in Blackboard. Once again, this type of electronic document delivery is advantageous but not necessary for the implementation of this project. Student Reaction Many of the biochemistry, management, and marketing students provided the instructors evaluative comments on this project in class and through email. The students were overwhelmingly positive about the project and encouraged the instructors to continue this collaboration in the future. Some biochemistry students commented on the unique nature of the project and how it focused their attention on the importance of proteins at the beginning of the semester. The premedical students were generally happy to have a broader perspective on the role of proteins in modern medicine and the research and development efforts of pharmaceutical com-
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panies. Many of the management and marketing students commented positively on the “real-life” nature of the project. They enjoyed the opportunity to work as “consultants” with an actual “client” (biochemistry students). Having virtually no background in biochemistry, specifically proteomics, the business student groups also quickly recognized the importance of external, expert information when analyzing their assigned companies. Most of the negative comments from the participating students were directed at the inefficiency of some of the individual groups. A few students were frustrated at the levels of production and participation of some of their fellow group members. Motivating individual students to participate in group assignments is certainly not a problem unique to the project described in this article. We firmly believe that group work is the best vehicle for this project and strategies to improve group dynamics will be used in the future. It may be that we can better utilize the tools in Blackboard to facilitate group participation and monitor the role each student plays in group-based assignments and projects. Conclusion Collaborative efforts among courses and instructors in different disciplines can be an exciting way to introduce active-learning exercises that expand traditional course projects. These types of projects allow students and instructors to recognize and experience common threads that exist between seemingly unrelated areas. Cross-disciplinary projects also allow students to gain broader perspectives of course content and applications. The project described in this article demonstrates how collaboration between biochemistry and business students can actually mirror the framework of a viable biotechnology or pharmaceutical company. These companies are built on strong scientific principles and a sound business plan. One without the other is a recipe for failure and this project provided the students with a unique perspective into the productive relationship that can exist between scientists and business people. This project could not have been developed without a strong collaborative effort between instructors. Other pedagogical aspects of this project include the interaction between completely online courses (MKT 360 and MGT 350) with a traditional face-to-face course (CHE 330) and the use of a Web-based teaching tool (Blackboard) to facilitate communication and electronic document exchange
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between instructors and students. This project can also serve as a template for other instructors to adopt similar projects. There are many aspects of this project that can be modified or expanded to satisfy the needs of specific instructors or courses. For example, other courses such as economics and finance could get involved and take this project in different directions or add to the scope of the current project. Acknowledgments The authors wish to thank Cynthia Peterson at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville. The Biotechnology Tracking project she developed was the inspiration behind the development of the project described in this article. The development of this project was also made possible through NSF CCLI-AI grant 0088129. Note 1. Although both authors contributed to this manuscript, it is written from the perspective of the biochemistry instructor (JRC). Owing to the scope of this Journal, the value of this project to the biochemistry curriculum is highlighted.
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Fields, S. Science 2001, 291, 1221–1224. Service, R. F. Science 2001, 294, 2074–2077. Cohen, J. Techn. Rev. 2001, 104, 54–60. Ezzell, C. Sci. Am. 2002, 286, 41–47. Blackboard, Inc. Home Page. http://www.blackboard.com (accessed Jan 2004). Millennium Home Page. http://www.millennium.com (accessed Jan 2004). Yahoo! Finance Home Page. http://finance.yahoo.com (accessed Jan 2004). Flynn, J. M.; Byrd, J. C. Curr. Opin. Oncol. 2000, 12, 574– 581. The RCSB Protein Data Base Home Page. http://www.rcsb.org (accessed Jan 2004). The Protein Explorer FrontDoor. http://www.proteinexplorer.org (accessed Jan 2004). Martz, E. Trends Biochem. Sci. 2002, 27, 107–109. Peterson, R. R.; Cox, J. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2001, 78, 1551– 1555. Cox, J. R. J. Chem. Educ. 2000, 77, 1424–1428.
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