Biochemistry Course Description

The following is a list of advanced courses offered by the Biochemistry Department. The choice of these optional courses will be made by the student in consultation with the thesis advisor and the dissertation committee. In addition to courses offered by the biochemistry faculty, courses offered by other departments at the Medical College may be pertinent to a student's research interests and can be added to the curriculum.

Biochem 204 Biological Oxidations (3 credits)

This multidisciplinary advanced course focuses on biological oxidation as it relates to the condition of oxidative stress and its biochemical and cytopathological implications. The major topic areas include: chemistry and biology of reactive oxygen and reactive nitrogen species; state-of-the-art techniques for detecting such species; role of iron and other metals in oxidative reactions; lipid, protein, and nucleic acid oxidative damage and repair; drug/toxin metabolism and oxygen activation in mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum; enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidant defenses; oxidant-induced signal transduction and gene activation. The course format consists of lecture overviews combined with class discussion of recent cutting-edge publications.
Biochem 206 Enzyme Chemistry (3 credits)

A survey of various types of enzymes are considered from an experimental viewpoint of specificity, physical and chemical structures, mechanisms of catalysis, and the design of active site-directed inhibitors.
Biochem 208 Physical Properties of Proteins and Nucleic Acids (3 credits)

Aspects of the physical properties of proteins and nucleic acids and how those properties relate to the structure and function of these molecules are presented. Various approaches for determining conformation and molecular weight will be discussed including measurements of hydrodynamic effects, light absorption, fluorescence, optical rotation, nuclear magnetic resonance, electron spin resonance, and X-ray diffraction.
Biochem 216 Membrane Biochemistry and Signal Transduction (3 credits)

This course discusses important areas of membrane biochemistry including structure, biosynthesis and processing of membrane components and their assembly, receptor-mediated endocytosis, carbohydrate recognition in uptake and routing of glycoproteins, blood group and tumor antigens and cell-cell interaction, recognition and adhesion. Course format is a combination of lectures and discussion of recent research papers.
Biochem 251 Advanced Molecular Genetics (3 credits)

The background to six different specific topics in molecular genetics is presented in an initial lecture followed by several discussion sessions in which research papers from that area are presented and critically evaluated. Emphasis is placed on developing the ability to critically read and evaluate experimental approaches and data from original research papers. Examples of topics include: the DNA binding properties of proteins; regulation of gene expression at the translation level; mechanisms of DNA replication; regulation of gene expression by enhancer elements; and DNA transposition mechanisms.
Biochem 275 Contemporary Topics in Biochemistry (3 credits)
This course discusses recent developments and advancements in Biochemistry. Examples of topics include: oxidation, signal transduction, the biochemistry of AIDS, and protein-protein interactions. The material is presented in lecture format followed by discussion of original research papers.

Biochemistry Course Description

Last modified on: Monday, 13-Oct-2003 16:33:34 CDT