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BCBP Course Descriptions: Printer Version
BCBP-2900 Research in Biochemistry/Biophysics Hands-on research in a faculty member’s research laboratory. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Offered each term. 3 to 4 credit hours, 9 to 12 contact hours BCBP-2930 Out-of-Classroom Experience in Biochemistry/Biophysics Credit to be given for an out-of-classroom experience related to biochemistry and/or biophysics (BCBP) having intellectual content relevant to the student’s educational or career goals, subject to approval of a written proposal and a final written report. The adviser (for BCBP majors) or, with permission, any BCBP faculty member may serve as evaluator. For each outof- classroom experience a student may register only once. 1 to 4 credit hours BCBP-2940 Readings in Biochemistry/Biophysics Independent study of selected readings in the fields of biochemistry and biophysics, supervised by a faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Offered each term. 1 to 4 credit hours BCBP-2990 Research Thesis Independent research, supervised by a faculty member, culminating in a written thesis. Prerequisite: permission of instructor Offered each term. 3 to 4 credit hours, 9 to 12 contact hours BCBP-4210 Biophysical Methods Diffraction experiments in biology and chemistry. Single-crystal X-ray structure determination, scattering from noncrystalline samples, electron microscopy of ordered samples, structural databases. Hydrodynamics of biological macromolecules. Viscosity, sedimentation, translational and rotational diffusion, chromatography, conductance, dielectrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, flow and electric birefringence, and electrophoresis. Water as a solvent, polyelectyrolytes, and Debye-Huckel theory. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-6210.) Prerequisite: CSCI-1100, BIOL-2120, CHEM-2440, and PHYS-1100 or equivalents Spring term odd-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-4310 Genetic Engineering Case studies on the effect of genetic engineering on medicine, agriculture, biology, forensics, and various other areas of technology. Each week a set of assigned readings will be discussed. Some of the topics to be covered are vaccines, biomolecular computing and electronics, paleontology, ecology, bioremediation, and polymers. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-6310.) Prerequisite or corequisite: BCBP-4760 and BIOL-4620, or permission of instructor. Fall term, odd-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-4710 Biochemistry Laboratory Major principles of biochemistry are illustrated as students purify and analyze specific proteins. Experience is obtained with various techniques including tissue extraction, chromatography, ultracentrifugation, spectrophotometric analysis, and electrophoresis. The course includes extensive handson laboratory work, as well as the writing of in-depth reports.(Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BIOL-4710.) Prerequisite: BIOL-2120. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours BCBP-4760 Molecular Biochemistry I Part I of a two-semester sequence focusing on the chemistry, structure, and function of biological molecules, macromolecules, and systems. Topics covered include protein and nucleic acid structure, enzymology, mechanisms of catalysis, regulation, lipids and membranes, carbohydrates, bioenergetics, and carbohydrate metabolism. This course is taught in studio mode. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and either BIOL-4760 or CHEM-4760.) Prerequisites: CHEM-2250 or CHEM-2210 and BIOL-2120 or equivalent. Fall term annually. 4 credit hours BCBP-4770 Molecular Biochemistry II The second semester of the molecular biochemistry sequence. Topics include lipids and lipid metabolism, amino acid metabolism and the coenzymes involved in this metabolism, nucleic acid synthesis and chemistry, protein synthesis and degradation, integration of metabolism, photobiology, and photosynthesis. This course is taught in studio mode. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and either BIOL-4770 or CHEM-4770.) Prerequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. Spring term annually. 4 credit hours BCBP-4780 Protein Folding The biophysical mechanism of protein folding and the role of misfolding in human diseases is explored. The course will introduce principles of protein structure, protein folding in the cell, and thermodynamic and kinetic methods for studying protein folding in vitro. The course will also involve a literature-based discussion of human diseases related to protein folding defects, including Alzheimer’s and other amyloid diseases, cystic fibrosis, and Prion-related syndromes. Prerequisite or corequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. (Students may not receive credit for both this course and BCBP-6780, CHEM-4780, or CHEM-6780.) Spring term even-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-4790 Protein Chemistry The ability to design synthetic proteins from first principles (de novo design) is a new area of protein chemistry with exciting potential applications in medicine and industry. This course will review our present understanding of chemistry and physics of protein structure and stability and show how this understanding can be applied to the design of unnatural proteins. The course will also cover the computer modeling and chemical synthesis of proteins, how to impart new characteristics to natural proteins via chemical modification, and the generation of protein ‘chimera’ using semisynthesis. Prerequisite: CHEM-4760 or BCBP-4760 or BIOL-4760 or equivalent; CHEM-6190 or BCBP-4810 is an asset. Students can not receive credit for this course and BCBP-6790 or CHEM-4790. Recommended for seniors; juniors should talk to the instructor before registering. Spring term, odd numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-4810 Biological Spectroscopy Explores the use of spectroscopic methods to study biological systems. Theory and application of techniques including UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance, and their application to the study of the structure of macromolecules, enzyme mechanism, and other important biological problems covered. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-6810.) Prerequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. Fall term even-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-4860 Protein and Nucleic Acid Structure The three-dimensional structure of these biological macromolecules is explored in detail, with special attention to the relationship of structure and function. Other topics include methods used to determine structure, the thermodynamics of structure formation, structure prediction from primary sequence, and computer-based molecular modeling. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-6860.) Prerequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. Spring term even-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6210 Biophysical Methods Diffraction experiments in biology and chemistry. Single-crystal X-ray structure determination, scattering from noncrystalline samples, electron microscopy of ordered samples, structural databases. Hydrodynamics of biological macromolecules. Viscosity, sedimentation, translational and rotational diffusion, chromatography, conductance, dielectrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, flow and electric birefringence, and electrophoresis. Water as a solvent, polyelectyrolytes, and Debye-Huckel theory. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-4210.) Prerequisite: CSCI-1100, BIOL-2120, CHEM-2440, and PHYS-1100 or equivalents. Spring term odd-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6310 Genetic Engineering Case studies on the effect of genetic engineering on medicine, agriculture, biology, forensics, and various other areas of technology. Each week a set of assigned readings will be discussed. Some of the topics to be covered are vaccines, biomolecular computing and electronics, paleontology, ecology, bioremediation, and polymers. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-4310.) Prerequisite or corequisite: BCBP-4760 and BIOL-4620, or permission of instructor. Fall term, odd-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6780 Protein Folding The biophysical mechanism of protein folding and the role of misfolding in human diseases is explored. The course will introduce principles of protein structure, protein folding in the cell, and thermodynamic and kinetic methods for studying protein folding in vitro. The course will also involve a literature-based discussion of human diseases related to protein folding defects, including Alzheimer’s and other amyloid diseases, cystic fibrosis, and Prion-related syndromes. Prerequisite or corequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. (Students may not receive credit for both this course and BCBP-4780, CHEM-4780, or CHEM-6780.) Spring term even-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6790 Protein Chemistry The ability to design synthetic proteins from first principles (de novo design) is a new area of protein chemistry with exciting potential applications in medicine and industry. This course will review our present understanding of chemistry and physics of protein structure and stability and show how this understanding can be applied to the design of unnatural proteins. The course will also cover the computer modeling and chemical synthesis of proteins, how to impart new characteristics to natural proteins via chemical modification, and the generation of protein ‘chimera’ using semisynthesis. Prerequisite: CHEM-4760 or BCBP-4760 or BIOL-4760 or equivalent; CHEM-6190 or BCBP-4810 is an asset. Students can not receive credit for this course and BCBP-4790 or CHEM-4790. Spring term, odd numbered years. 3 credit hours BCBP-6810 Biological Spectroscopy Explores the use of spectroscopic methods to study biological systems. Theory and application of techniques including UV-visible absorbance spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, fluorescence, electron paramagnetic resonance and nuclear magnetic resonance, and their application to the study of the structure of macromolecules, enzyme mechanism, and other important biological problems covered. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-4810.) Prerequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. Fall term even-numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6860 Protein and Nucleic Acid Structure The three-dimensional structure of these biological macromolecules is explored in detail, with special attention to the relationship of structure and function. Other topics include methods used to determine structure, the thermodynamics of structure formation, structure prediction from primary sequence, and computer-based molecular modeling. (Students cannot obtain credit for both this course and BCBP-4860.) Prerequisite: BCBP-4760 or equivalent. Spring term even numbered years. 4 credit hours BCBP-6940 Readings in Biochemistry/Biophysics Independent study of selected readings in the fields of biochemistry and biophysics, supervised by a faculty member. Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Offered each term. 1 to 4 credit hours
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