|
Doctor of Philosophy
Admission to the Biochemistry Graduate Program is through the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences.
After completion of the first year curriculum of that program, students who choose to complete their dissertation
work with faculty of the Biochemistry Department will have the opportunity to continue their graduate studies by
selecting from among a wide range of courses that are offered within the Biochemistry Department as well as other
programs at MCW. Courses to be taken are based on the student’s interests in consultation with the student’s
dissertation committee.
The following areas of research are available in the department:
- Protection of the immature heart during surgery. Cardioplegic components and cyanosis. (John E. Baker,
Ph.D.)
- Structure and function of mannose 6-phosphate receptors; mechanisms of intracellular protein targeting. (Nancy M. Dahms,
Ph.D.)
- Nitric oxide synthase and shock; glutathione metabolism; chemotherapy and the basis of drug resistance. (Owen W. Griffith,
Ph.D.)
- Mechanisms of enzyme action and modes of control of ketogenesis, cholesterogenesis, and photosynthetic carbon assimilation. (Henry M. Miziorko,
Ph.D.)
- Functional significance of N-domain diversity in AMPdeaminase isoforms and regulation of the mammalian AMP deaminase multigene family. (Richard L. Sabina,
Ph.D.)
- Molecular and cell biology of cobalamin (vitamin B12) binding and transport proteins; molecular basis of human vitamin B12 deficiency. (Bellur Seetharam,
Ph.D.)
- Protease and protease inhibitors; structure function of maspin and its effects on carcinoma and corneal cells (Sally S. Twining,
Ph.D.)
- Structural biology of immunological signaling molecules and the use of NMR spectroscopy in structural proteomics. (Brian F. Volkman,
Ph.D.)
Qualified medical students may be admitted into a program leading to the acquisition of both a PhD and MD degree.
Biochem 02204: Biological Oxidations. 3 semester hours
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 02201 Medical Biochemistry. 7 semester hours. Permission of course director to enroll is required.
This course exposes students to the molecular and chemical principles of life. The medical relevance of the
course is emphasized by clinical correlations and case-based discussions.
Biochem 02208: Physical Properties of Macromolecules. 3 semester hours.
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 02216: Membrane Biochemistry. 3 semester hours.
This course discusses important areas of membrane biochemistry, including structure, biosynthesis,
and processing of membrane components and their assembly, receptor-mediated endocytosis, the molecular
basis of protein targeting, carbohydrate recognition in uptake and routing of glycoproteins, cell-cell
interaction and cell surface adhesion events.. Course format is a combination of lectures and discussion
of recent research papers.
Biochem 02222: Advanced Protein Chemistry. 3 semester hours.
With complete sequences for the genomes of human and many other species now available, much of the
attention in molecular biological research is rapidly turning to the characterization of organism-wide
collections of gene products, often referred to as functional genomics or proteomics. Just as the human
genome project catalyzed generational advanced in DNA sequencing technology, current trends demand
improved methods for efficient cloning, production and physical characterization of recombinant proteins.
With the changing nature of protein characterization in mind, this course will focus on the practical
aspects of protein production and characterization, including the steps most commonly encountered in the
development of strategies for three-dimensional structural characterization by NMR or x-ray crystallography.
New methods and optimization of standard approaches for high-throughput applications will be emphasized,
including techniques ranging from chromatography and electrophoresis to mass spectrometry, fluorescence and
NMR spectroscopy.
Biochem 02251: Advanced Molecular Genetics. 3 semester hours.
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 02275: Contemporary Topics in Biochemistry. 3 semester hours.
This course discusses recent developments and advancements in biochemistry. Examples of topics include:
oxidation, signal transduction, retinoids, the biochemistry of AIDS, and protein-protein interactions.
The material is presented as a short lecture review followed by discussion of original research papers.
Biochem 02295: Readings and Research. Semester hours to be arranged.
Biochem 02301: Seminar. 1 semester hour.
Students are given practice in presenting and evaluating their research data. Solutions to research
problems encountered are also discussed. Seminar is required beginning in the second semester and
continues throughout each student’s program.
Biochem 02399: Doctoral Dissertation. 9 semester hours.
Chair and Professor
Deschenes, Robert J., PhD; Purdue University, 1984
Graduate Program Director and Associate Professor
Twining, Sally S., PhD; Ohio State University, 1976
Professor
Dahms, Nancy , PhD; Johns Hopkins University, 1985
Girotti, Albert W., PhD; University of Massachusetts, 1965
Griffith, Owen W., PhD; The Rockefeller University, 1974
Kim, Jung-Ja P., PhD; Cornell University, 1969
Twining, Sally S., PhD; Ohio State University, 1976
Associate Professor
Jackson, Vaughn E., PhD; University of Iowa, 1972
Misra, Ravindra P., PhD; Sackler Institute, NYU School of Medicine, 1988
Sabina, Richard L., PhD; Texas A & M University, 1979
Assistant Professor
Volkman, Brian F., PhD; University of California at Berkeley, 1994
|
