Kinetics is a gas with beans, beans, the magical fruit!
We often forget how common, important, and useful enzymes are for us, including for our health. For example, some people only poorly digest vegetables like beans because they have insufficient enzymes to break down carbohydrates in their diet. With poor digestion of complex sugars, the microbes in our intestinal tracts will metabolize those carbohydrates for us producing gases that we release as “flatulence”. Beano® is an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contains α-galactosidase, an enzyme that breaks down complex sugars and helps reduce flatulence. In today’s workshop, we will use Beano® and an extract from peas to determine how quickly the enzymes in this dietary supplement will break down complex carbohydrates to produce small sugars like glucose.
About the Speaker
McMaster’s Department of Biology has an active outreach program that includes greenhouse visits and experiential activities. The Enzyme Kinetics Workshop is given by a team of three biologists: Drs. Rosa da Silva, an Associate Professor who teaches First Year Biology courses and is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science, Peter Summers, a Plant Biochemist who also organizes a Plant Molecular Workshop for high school students, and Elizabeth Weretilnyk, Professor of Plant Biology.
Presented by McMaster