Students should have access to a computer with internet access and presentation software, such as PowerPoint. They also get a copy of the activity handout. The classroom should have projection capabilities.

Metabolism refers to the chemical reactions carried out by cells or microorganisms to sustain life. These reactions can be either catabolic (degradative) or anabolic (biosynthetic). Given that the carbohydrate, glucose, is the preferred fuel for many organisms, a typical biochemistry class will focus coverage of metabolism on the major catabolic pathways for glucose utilization. These pathways include glycolysis, the pentose phosphate pathway, the Entner-Doudoroff pathway, the Krebs cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. Anabolic reactions for the synthesis of glucose may also be discussed, as well as catabolic and anabolic reactions of lipids and amino acids/nucleotides. 

Despite the importance of metabolic reactions in sustaining life, students, and in particular, chemical engineering students, often fail to see connections between the material covered in class and their field of study. This activity was developed to encourage chemical engineering students to explore the application of the metabolic reactions we learned in lecture to the industrial production of valuable chemical compounds. The biotechnology industry is a billion dollar enterprise and is becoming larger as the need for environmentally friendly processes grow. This activity gives students the chance to explore this industry in the context of the course material.

Classroom activity:

This activity was designed to be a companion to a lecture unit on metabolism. Prior to the activity, we spend about one class period in lecture going over the central pathways for glucose catabolism. Students should have a working knowledge of the reactions in these pathways, particularly the intermediate compounds and end products. This activity was used to reinforce that knowledge and make it more meaningful.

To start the activity, students are placed in groups of 2-3. They are given a handout which explains the activity and gives the rubric. They are presented with the hypothetical scenario that they are founders of a biotechnology start-up. They want to focus their company on the biomanufacturing of a specific chemical product of their choosing. A list of industrially relevant compounds to choose from is available at http://www.synbioproject.tech/cpi/categories/chemical/. Their task is to create an infographic (single PowerPoint slide) highlighting their chosen compound. The infographic must include a diagram of the metabolic reactions that lead to its production, the market value of the compound, and the potential benefits (economic or environmental) of a biological route to its production. A consultant (the instructor) is available to answer questions about the compounds they've chosen and the suitability of a particular metabolic route. They are instructed that they will pitch their infographic to investors (the rest of the class) in a short, less than 10 minute presentation at the end of the activity. 

The activity is conducted in a single, 2 hour class period. About 5 minutes was taken to introduce the project, 1 to 1.5 hours was used for the students to research and prepare their infographic, and about 30 minutes was used for the presentations of the infographics. The timing could be adjusted depending on how many groups have to present and the quality of the infographic you desire.