In biochemistry, the greatest focus is on the macromolecules of living systems-the original nanomachines. For these molecules, proteins and nucleic acids, for example, some investigations focus on their functional roles while other studies are concerned with the molecules themselves as autonomous particles.
At Grove City College, there is interest in both the functional roles of proteins (along with cofactors and coenzymes) and nucleic acids as well the study of these molecules as individual chemical entities. Major experimental techniques involve site-directed mutagenesis, recombinant protein expression, DNA sequencing, optical spectroscopy, steady-state enzyme kinetics and computational studies.