Chemical Biology for MSc Drug Discovery and Translational Biology (P01681)

? Credit Points : 20 ? SCQF Level : 11 ? Acronym : BIO-P-CHEMBIO

The course covers the application of organic chemistry methods, theory and mechanism to biological systems. The course also describes methods used to manipulate and study cellular processes. Individual lecture courses comprise: Biocatalysis in Synthesis, Molecular Enzymology, Carbohydrates, Molecular Engineering, and Bioinorganic Chemistry.

Entry Requirements

? Pre-requisites : Entry to the course will be for students already holding (or expecting to hold) an Honours degree or equivalent in a biological subject such as biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, pharmacology. Students with a background in chemistry, physics, computer science or informatics will also be considered and those with other scientific or medical backgrounds should contact the Course Director.

Subject Areas

Home subject area

Postgraduate, (School of Biological Sciences, Schedule K)

Delivery Information

? Normal year taken : Postgraduate

? Delivery Period : Semester 2 (Blocks 3-4)

? Contact Teaching Time : 3 hour(s) per week for 10 weeks

All of the following classes

Type	Day	Start	End	Area
Lecture	Tuesday	10:00	10:50	KB
Lecture	Friday	10:00	10:50	KB

Summary of Intended Learning Outcomes

At the end of this course students will be able to:
- understand the role played by enzymes in modern asymmetric synthesis
- discuss the range of chemical reactions amenable to biocatalysis
- understand the role of common cofactors such as ATP, NAD, biotin, thiamine and pyridoxal phosphate in enzymatic reactions
- describe synthetic procedures involved in carbohydrate synthesis, and the methods used for carbohydrate structure determination
- understand the potential (and limitations) of genetic techniques in the development of our understanding of cellular pathways and in drug design
- explain the theory which underpins current understanding of protein mediated electron transfer and the physical methods used to determine RedOx processes occurring in metalloproteins
- provide examples of the variety of chemical reactions catalyzed by metals in enzymes
Learning outcomes specific to attainment of a pass at Level 11 include:
- ability to integrate all, or most, of the main areas of the course
- development of original and creative responses to problems and issues within the course
- application of critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis to issues at the forefront of the subject area