Biochemistry/Structural Biology
Interest Group: Courses
The Biological Chemistry and Molecular Biology Programs offer a variety of course work that provides a grounding in the wide range of scientific disciplines that are critical components on modern research.
Here is a partial listing of graduate-level courses that are of special interest to biochemists and structural biologists.
Gene Expression
This course covers both transcriptional and post-transcriptional mechanisms of gene regulation. The transcriptional regulation section of the course covers: basic mechanisms of gene activation and repression, chromatin remodeling machines, regulation of transcription activation by signal transduction cascades. The post-transcriptional section covers mechanisms regulating RNA processing (splicing, editing, and transport), translation and mRNA stability. Required core course for the Molecular Biology Program and an elective for the students in the Biological Chemistry Program. (1.5 credit hour; 1/2 semester)
Genetic Engineering
This course covers essential techniques used in genetic engineering. Assuming little background in biology, the course introduces fundamental aspects of molecular biology including mechanisms for storage of information in DNA and transfer of this information to RNA and protein molecules. Manipulations of DNA molecules to rearrange or remodel genetic information ("cloning") are described from both theoretical and practical viewpoints. Topics covered include the use of restriction endonucleases, amplification of DNA sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PRC), detection of DNA and RNA using hybridization (Southern and Northern blotting), properties of cloning vectors and their use in constructing genomic and cDNA libraries, DNA sequencing and sequence analysis, creating and detecting mutations in DNA and introducing these mutations into a genome, and expression of proteins. (2 credit hours; 1/2 semester)
Protein Chemistry
This is a one-half semester course which focuses on the mechanisms of chemical reactions involving peptides and proteins and methods for their study. Subject matter includes enzyme mechanisms, chemical modification of proteins and cofactor chemistry. Prerequisite: organic chemistry. Required core course for the Biological Chemistry Program and an elective for the students in the Molecular Biology Program. (2 credit hour; 1/2 semester)
Protein and Nucleic Acid Biochemistry
This course reviews the basics of protein and nucleic acid structure and includes an in-depth discussion of the kinetic and thermodynamic principles involved in the formation and stabilization of protein and nucleic acid structures. Required core course for the Molecular Biology Program and the Biological Chemistry Program. (3 credit hour; 1 semester)
Structural Methods
This course provides an integrated approach to the applications of NMR, X-ray crystallography, and mass spectrometry in structural biology. An introduction to molecular modeling will be presented, which will include force fields, energy minimization, and molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules. Required core course for the Biological Chemistry Program and an elective for the students in the Molecular Biology Program. (3 credit hour; 1 semester)
Biophysical Chemistry
Topics covered include: Basics of thermodynamics and statistical mechanics, with applications in biochemistry; transport phenomena; enzyme kinetics and inhibition; kinetic isotope effects; principles and applications of absorbance, fluorescence, and CD spectroscopies. (2 credit hours; 1/2 semester)
Elective Courses
Each year, members of the Biochemistry/Structural Biology Interest Group offer at least one, and usually several advanced half- semester elective courses for students in the Graduate Programs. Recent examples include Signal Transduction, Site Specific Drug Delivery, Nucleic Acid Chemistry, and Genome Informatics.