CHEM 717 Advanced topics in Biochemistry
This course introduces advanced topics in biochemistry that are relevant to chemical research involving enzymes and cellular pathways focusing on drug interaction and drug discovery. The course is structured to deliver eleven weeks of traditional lectures by instructor(s) followed by four weeks of seminar. The first part of the course will cover protein structure, enzyme function, cell signaling molecules and their receptors. The second part of the course will focus on drug targets, their mode of action and structure-activity relationships. The final part of the course will be student led in a journal-club style format. Each student is expected to present a research article in a topic relevant to material covered in lecture. The student will present data, critically evaluate the experimental approach and provide a strategy for future directions.