CHEM 3870 Principles of Chemical Biology
Course Description
This chemistry elective provides knowledge of the three major classes of bioactive molecules (Carbohydrates, Proteins and Nucleic Acids). Quite distinct from simply examining the chemical reactions of the three molecular classes, this course focuses on their structures, functioning in signalling and recognition pathways, and their role in diseases and the aging process. For each biomolecule, its use and potential in the design of new drug therapies is addressed. The section on free radicals acts as a tie-in for the three biomolecules, in terms of relating the onset and prognosis of all diseases to a free radical origin. The two laboratory-based demonstration exercises (Carbohydrates and Nucleic Acids) will allow students to appreciate the dynamic 3-D nature of these molecules and the implications of their structure, conformation and configuration on their chemical and biological properties.
