Biochemistry

Reactions in biochemistry can be explained by an understanding of fundamental organic chemistry principles and reactions. This paradigm is extended to biochemical principles and to a myriad of biomolecules. The text provides a framework for understanding various topics in biochemistry, including the chemical behavior of biomolecules, enzyme activity, and more. It goes beyond mere memorization. Using several techniques to develop a relational understanding, including homework, this text helps students fully grasp and better correlate essential organic chemistry concepts with those at the root of biochemistry. The goal is to achieve a better understanding of the fundamental principles of biochemistry.

Professor Michael B. Smith was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1946 and moved to Madison Heights, Virginia, in 1957, where he attended Amherst County High School. He received an A.A. from Ferrum College in 1967 and a B.S. in chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1969. After working for three years at Newport News Shipbuilding and Dry Dock Co. in Newport News, VA, as an analytical chemist, he entered graduate school at Purdue University. He received a Ph.D. in Organic Chemistry in 1977, under the auspices of Professor Joe Wolinsky. He spent one year as a faculty research associate at Arizona State University with Professor G. Robert Pettit, working on the isolation of cytotoxic principles from plants and sponges. He spent a second year of postdoctoral work with Professor Sidney M. Hecht at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working on the synthesis of bleomycin A2. He began his academic career at the University of Connecticut in 1979, where he achieved the rank of professor of chemistry. In 1986, he spent a sabbatical leave in the laboratories of Professor Leon Ghosez at the Universite Catholique de Louvain in Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium, as a visiting professor. He retired as a full professor from the University of Connecticut on January 1, 2017, was granted the rank of Professor Emeritus, and is currently pursuing his interests as an author.