Biochemistry I
Course description
This course for Biochemistry majors provides an introduction to the structure and function of biological molecules and covers proteins, carbohydrates, nucleic acids, and lipids. The individual building blocks, their macromolecular assemblies, and their roles in cells are discussed for each class of molecules. The course also covers interactions between different classes of molecules and their role in metabolism and cell signaling. Students will develop a strong understanding of the structure and function of biological molecules and their roles in living organisms.
Structure and Function of Biological Molecules
Week 1
Course organization and chemistry bootcamp
Introduction to Biochemistry
Structure of cells
Central dogma of biochemistry
Week 2
The Structure of Water
Anomaly of water
Hydrogen bonds
Attractive and repulsive forces
pH and pKa
Definition of pH
Biological buffers
Week 3
Learning Assessment I
From Amino Acids to Proteins
Classification of amino acids
The peptide bond
Week 4
The three-dimensional Structure of Proteins
Primary and secondary structure
Tertiary and quaternary structure
The protein folding problem
Levinthal paradox
Molecular chaperones
Week 5
Protein Function
Ligand binding
Quantitative description of binding reactions
Examples: Hemoglobin, antibodies, muscle proteins
Self-learning
Week 6
Learning assessment II
Enzymes I
Physiological significance of enzymes
Biocatalysts and specificity
General mechanisms of catalysis
Week 7
Enzymes II
Examples: Chymotrypsin and lysozyme
Enzyme kinetics
Learning assessment III
Week 8
Carbohydrates and Glycobiology
Mono- and disaccharides
Polysaccharides
Biological function of glycoconjugates
Nucleic Acids
Structure and function of nucleotides
Structure of DNA
Structure of RNA
Week 9
DNA-based Technologies I
Thermodynamic properties of DNA
DNA analysis
DNA-based Technologies II
Molecular cloning
Recombinant protein expression
Week 10
Learning Assessment IV
Structure and Function of Lipids
Storage lipids
Membrane lipids
Signaling lipids
Week 11
Biological Membranes and Transport I
Structure and function of biological membranes
Dynamics of membranes
Biological Membranes and Transport II
Structure and function of membrane proteins
Working with membrane proteins
Cryo-EM teaser
Week 12
Biological Membranes and Transport III
Transport across biological membranes
Electrical signaling
Learning Assessment V
Week 13
Biosignaling I
Features of signal transducing systems
G protein-coupled receptors
Biosignaling II
Enzyme-linked receptors
Gated ion channels
Week 14
Bioenergetics and Biochemical Reactions
Application of thermodynamics to biochemistry
Common organic chemistry principles
Universal electron carriers
Week 15
Learning assessment VI
Q&A and course evaluation
Week 16
Final exam
Copyright © 2023 Philipp Schmidpeter