Our Mission and Objectives

“Prior to the course, I had no experience in a chemical laboratory. Each lab I completed provided new insight into how the knowledge I’ve gained through classroom work can actually be applied. Along with learning the techniques and procedures of a chemist, I also learned to write and speak as one too. Many of the skills I’ve learned through 5.310 Laboratory Chemistry can be translated to various areas across the sciences.” – Kwabena Ofori-Atta  Class of 2020, Mechanical Engineering

“Taking 5.310 showed me that I learn best by doing and that I have the ability to grasp complicated things when I contextualize them through their applications; the same concepts that had been harder to grasp in 5.12 were now much easier to understand and remember. For example, after actually doing a Fischer esterification, it was much easier for me to remember that a carboxylic acid and an alcohol can form an ester. I hadn’t learned Fischer esterification very well in 5.12, but after 5.310, I was able to remember and distinguish it from other similar reactions while studying for the MCAT. I really enjoyed this hands-on aspect of 5.310 because the science we were learning and doing was integrated into the real world; when we tested a sample of water to practice titrations, it wasn’t just any water, it was the Charles River which I’d fallen into many times while sailing–that made me even more interested in studying its contents! Taking 5.310 also rebuilt my confidence because I knew that in medical school, we’d also learn science in the context of the real world: understanding illnesses and applying medical interventions.” – Maedeh Marzoughi  Class of 2020, Brain and Cognitive Sciences

“5.310 gave me the tools I need to conduct meaningful wet lab research. Not only did I hone my technical skills at the bench, but I also sharpened my technical writing and presentation skills. I established habits for clearly documenting my work and learned how to communicate my research to other scientists.” – Autumn Geil, Class of 2021, Department of Materials Science and Engineering

“5.310 was the only chemistry class I’ve taken at MIT aside from 5.12 and the GIR, so much of the material was very new to me. Going in, I worried that I wouldn’t know enough to do well in the class, or that I’d be left behind by other students. However, I quickly found that the content we were learning was not only fascinating, but also very intuitive. I ended up truly enjoying and connecting with many aspects of chemistry for the first time.” – River Grace, Class of 2021, Brain and Cognitive Sciences

“5.310 helped me in preparing for medical school through the oral lab presentations. One of my biggest areas for improvement is public speaking, especially when it comes to presenting scientific information.” – Daniel A. Osorio, Class of 2019, Biology

“5.310 was my first introduction to lab-based science. Before this class, I had taken organic chemistry, cell bio, and biochemistry. The basis of many concepts we learned about in these courses were significant experiments. I thought I understood them well enough. Using techniques in the lab required for many of these experiments, however, and then analyzing our own data with the help of lab tech experts made so much sense. I was excited and surprised to see how far I’d come over the course of this class, especially when I was writing lab reports. Piecing together UV-Vis results, DO levels, and ICPMS data to tell a complete story about something I interact with every day, the Charles River, or running chemical tests to identify an enzyme were new, exciting experiences. And during the final oral presentation, I truly felt the culmination of what I had learned: from how to handle glassware, to how to conduct myself in the lab space, how to interpret results, and how to draw meaning from observations that were once meaningless to me. I am taking another lab class this semester and can approach it with more confidence, and I am excited to take more science classes in the future with this new background I have gained. ” – Hanna Kherzai, Class of 2020, Department of Economics

“5.301 Freshman Chemistry Laboratory Techniques was a springboard for my long-term research opportunity in the Raines lab as well as a personal growth experience. 5.301 I was exposed to fundamental techniques and the theory behind them. Specifically, the techniques of organic synthesis, purification, and analysis (use of sep funnel, condenser, rotovap, TLC, column chromatography, NMR, IR) have all been critical in my UROP experience. I am grateful for my experience in 5.301 that brought me up to speed in terms of research techniques. 5.301 was also meaningful to me in terms of intangible personal growth. The final presentation for the class was my first opportunity to give a long presentation since coming to MIT, which helped me build my confidence and rhetoric in front of an audience.” – Siam Muquit, Class of 2021, Chemical Biology

“I’m planning on applying to graduate school for physical chemistry and biophysics. The lab modules were very important in both prepping me for graduate work and setting my path for this, since modules focused on real chemistry research as opposed to just mirroring chemistry lecture courses.” – Joshua Rhodes, Class of 2019, Physics, Chemistry and Biology

“Because of my background in mostly synthetic chemistry, learning the physics behind the things that I took for granted was all new to me and very exciting in Module 1 (5.351) Fundamentals of Spectroscopy. In Module 8 (5.372) Chemistry of Renewable Energy, I ended up learning the basics of electrochemistry that I had somehow missed my whole academic career. What I really liked about Module 2 (5.352) Synthesis of Coordination Compounds and Kinetics is that it felt like it had a clear story: first, we synthesized something, then characterized it. Because I’m very passionate about teaching and want to become a professor, I was very excited to see such an effective way of teaching chemistry play out for me.” – Ruby A. Kharad, Class of 2022, Chemistry

“The 5.35 modules labs helped me realize I want to attend medical school because it taught me what it is like to be disciplined and have a long-term commitment to a goal. In each module I carried out experiments that would build upon each other to reach a goal. For example, in 5.353 we synthesized a polymer that relied on carrying out the reaction from the previous day or week correctly in order to move forward. This means that at every step of the way you have to put in maximal effort to make sure that in no part of the entire procedure there is a mistake that will ruin over a month’s work. I learned to take organized notes of what is happening and when, and always had to think back to how the current day’s work connects to the big picture goal of the experiments. I realized that by taking this action of thinking through full experiments and figuring out how we know that they worked or not I was learning to organize big ideas in my head. This of course, will be very important as a practicing physician.” – Pedro A. Colon, Class of 2023, Biology & Chemistry with Minor in Economics

“Through the 5.35x modules, I was able to apply the theoretical concepts from previous chemistry classes to a tangible experimental setting. As someone with a very limited experimental-class background, having your constant support and expertise contributed to my overall learning experience. Our talks have made me consider taking more Chemistry courses at MIT before I graduate, instead of just solely taking Biology classes. the concepts behind each of the modules impact the medical world in various ways. I was most interested in the final module, in which we synthesized a polymer-drug complex and measured the drug-release kinetics through spectroscopy. My current medical interest is Oncology, a field that relies on accurate drug targeting and release to efficiently combat cancer. The modules have helped me develop my communication skills, which will allow me to effectively interact with patients and explain the different aspects of their condition in an adequate manner, and they have connected my favorite academic subjects with the profession I wish to pursue.” – Gabriel A. Caamano, Class of 2023, Chemistry & Biology

“The MIT Department of Chemistry’s Lab Modules: A Quest for Truth: At the start of Module 1 (5.351) we learned how to use the FTIR and NMR spectrometers to read a couple of organic molecules. I remember being kind of excited and kind of scared to use such expensive equipment. Each module that followed the first  gradually guided me through this journey of learning how to use everything in the lab. The later labs taught actual lab methods and techniques and brought into the physical realm all of these cerebral concepts that I had read about in class. The lab modules were structured like a quest out of the Lord of the Rings. They were engaging, nostalgically memorable, at times formidable, sometimes exhausting, but altogether something that I walked away from with a different view of what I had learned in class and a toolkit of skills that I can draw on for the rest of my life.” – Antonio Buscemi, Class of 2020, Chemistry