CHEM 791A Fall 2009

BIOMOLECULAR STRUCTURE

TTh 9:30-10:45, LGRT 204

Schedule

This course is aimed at first and second year graduate students and advanced undergraduates interested in acquiring the tools and understanding to investigate macromolecular structures in biology. You will learn about the physical basis for these structures, their folding, stability, and interactions with other molecules, as well as the structural basis of catalytic mechanisms. You will gain a working knowledge of computer programs for manipulating and understanding macromolecular structures and be introduced to X-ray crystallography and NMR techniques used for structure determination. This is an important foundation for students whose research focuses on understanding proteins and nucleic acids, or synthesizing molecules to interact with them.

 
INSTRUCTOR: Lynmarie Thompson, LGRT 403E, 545-0827, mailbox LGRT 713C
 
REQUIRED TEXT: Protein Structure & Function, by Petsko & Ringe.
 
PREREQUISITE: One year of organic chemistry. Introductory biochemistry or permission of instructor.
 

GRADING:  

25%

Exam I

25%

Exam II

25%

Presentation

25%

Homework/quizzes

Grading cutoffs (minimal): A = 90-100, B = 80-89, C = 70-79, D = 60-69, F = below 60

Grading may also be curved upward later (eg a score of 89 may earn an A).
Images: Molecular machines involved in harnessing energy (top, proteins bound to membrane) and self-replication (proteins bound to DNA, right side). Adapted from Protein Data Bank poster (pdf 5MB).