Enzymes Kinetics

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.

Rosa da Silva, Elizabeth Weretilnyk & Peter Summers

Rosa da Silva is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University, who teaches courses in the areas of cell and molecular biology and physiology. These are really important courses that give students the knowledge needed to understand how our bodies work, and how we are able to medicinally help our bodies when we are sick! Rosa is an award-winning professor who welcomes all students in her classrooms, engaging her classes in thoughtful and supported conversations related to amazing innovations in science. Having previously served as Associate Chair, Undergraduate Studies for the Department of Biology, Rosa has since 2023 entered into the role of Associate Dean, Undergradaute Studies for the Faculty of Science.

Dr. Elizabeth Weretilnyk is a Professor in the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Dr. Weretilnyk’s research examines how plants cope with abiotic stress, particularly stresses associated with drought, salinity, and nutrient deficiencies. She uses physiology, biochemistry, and genomics (metabolite and transcriptome profiling) approaches in her work on the extremophile crucifer, Eutrema salsugineum. Dr. Weretilnyk, together with colleagues Rosa Da Silva and Peter Summers, is inspiring the next generation of scientists and supporting high school science teachers with the Department of Biology’s STEM Engagement Project. The long-running STEM Engagement Project by the Department of Biology connects McMaster with hundreds of high school students and teachers each year.

Peter Summers is a Research Project Manager with the Department of Biology at McMaster University. Peter, together with colleagues Rosa Da Silva and Elizabeth Weretilnyk, is inspiring the next generation of scientists and supporting high school science teachers with the Department of Biology’s STEM Engagement Project. The long-running STEM Engagement Project by the Department of Biology connects McMaster with hundreds of high school students and teachers each year.

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 is an Associate Professor who teaches First Year Biology courses and is the Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science, Dr. Peter Summers is a Plant Biochemist who co-organizes a Plant Molecular Workshop for high school students with our third member, Dr. Elizabeth Weretilnyk, a Professor who studies how plants tolerate extreme environmental conditions.