This course has earned the Affordable UF badge by selecting required materials that cost less than $20 per credit hour.
Credits
This is a 3-credit course.
Description
This course focuses on the characterization and the structural proof of drug compounds routinely encountered in Forensic and Pharmaceutical laboratories. Each module, accompanied by specific aims, will be supplemented with figures, animations, and links to appropriate web sites that will provide the materials necessary for course completion. Grades will be based on performance on the assignments accompanying each module. Students are expected to utilize information presented in each module to develop and complete their module assignments. Other activities will include online discussions of course topics and current issues that relate to pharmaceutical and forensic drug analysis.
This course focuses on core concepts of analytical procedures and the theory of how they work, in particular:
- Choosing an appropriate analytical technique based on chemical and physical properties of a substance or mixture of substances.
- Developing and validating an analytical procedure to extract, separate, and identify substances.
- Distinguishing between extraction, separation, and identification techniques and how they can be combined to provide an optimal and efficient procedure for substance analysis.
- Applying concepts to a range of workplace settings such as forensic, environmental, clinical, and pharmaceutical laboratories.
Course Goal
A range of analytical techniques have been introduced and refined over the past decades and many are now commonly used in routine analysis of various samples including biological and chemical specimen. Bench scientists require an understanding of the theory behind these techniques to not only perform the necessary tasks but also develop and troubleshot emerging issues. Making decisions about which procedure to use, which separation conditions to select, and how to interpret data, assist in developing skills that are valuable and essential to the analytical laboratory environment. At the completion of the course, students will be able to explain how commonly used analytical techniques work and select the best methods to conduct the analysis of a range of sample specimens.
Prerequisites
Please review our recommended course order.
Topics
| Module | Topic |
|---|---|
| Module 1 | Sample Handling, Storage and Preparation |
| Module2 | Presumptive Tests |
| Module 3 | Ultraviolet Spectrophotometry |
| Module 4 | Infrared Spectrophotometry |
| Module 5 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (includes virtual lab) |
| Module 6 | Mass Spectroscopy |
| Module 7 | Gas Chromatography |
| Module 8 | High Performance Liquid Chromatography (includes virtual lab) |
| Module 9 | Capillary Electrophoresis |
| Module 10 | Supercritical Fluid Separations |
| Module 11 | Trace analysis |
| Module 12 | Optimization of Experimental Conditions |
| Module 13 | Legal Implications and Data Interpretation |
Course Structure
Group discussion forums, online chat sessions, interactive animations, virtual labs for select topics, and individual e-mail contact between student and instructor. Students will be required to submit written essay assignments. The instructor will also be frequently available for one-on-one virtual office hours.
Virtual laboratories
Together with Labster we are now able to offer select virtual laboratories to our students. This allows students to explore analytical procedures and techniques in a simulated laboratory, conduct actual experiments by changing experimental conditions, and challenge themselves to engage both with the theory as well as practical aspects of analytical techniques.
Required Materials:
Starting in Spring 2024, students have to pay a fee to access the virtual lab simulations offered by Labster. That fee is currently $75 and students will be asked to pay at the start of the semester with a credit card.
Library Access
Distance Education and UF Online Students enjoy the same library privileges as on-campus students.
To utilize the University of Florida Library System, click here!