Investigate enzyme activity and the conditions that affect it. Under optimal conditions, enzymes catalyse, or speed up the rate of, chemical reactions. In this lab, a substrate that is not fluorescent under basal conditions will fluoresce under blue light when sugar molecules are removed through hydrolysis by the enzyme beta-galactosidase. Observing how brightly the solution fluoresces over time allows students to see the reaction progress and quantify the effect of different variables on enzyme activity. This lab includes four inquiry-based investigations. Students explore the effects of pH, temperature, enzyme and substrate concentration, and competitive inhibition on enzyme reaction rate.