Entry requirements

Completed course of Applied Biotechnology-starting course 15 credits.

Learning outcomes

The overall goal of this course is to give students advanced knowledge of the relationship between the structure and function of biomolecules and to handle different tools used in structural bioinformatics.

After the course the student should be able to:

• explain the basis of biological macromolecules constitution and traits
• explain the basis of biological catalysis
• explain control mechanisms of important biological processes: cell signalling, transcription, translation, and protein secretion
• explain the constitution of molecular complexes like ribosomes and viruses and aggregates like filaments and tubules
• use databases with information of structure and function of macromolecules
• use and analyse results from methods used to predict secondary- and tertiary structure of macromolecules
• explain drugs aimed against biological macromolecules are developed using rational drug design

Content

Lectures and tutorials dealing with the following topics:

Methods for the determination of macromolecules structure and interaction.

Basic macromolecular structure; DNA, RNA, protein, lipids and carbohydrates.

The folding process and structural background to the dynamics of macromolecules.

Binding specificity, catalysis and cooperativity in enzymes and receptors.

Macromolecules function described by a few specific examples.

Biological structure databases.

Structure analysis and classification of proteins in structural families.

Relation between sequence, structure and function. Computer modelling of secondary- and tertiary structure of proteins and nucleic acid based on sequence data.

Enzyme/receptor-based drugs-rational drug design.

Instruction

Lectures, laboratory work-computer exercises, seminars.

Assessment

Written exam in the end of the course, 7 credits. Computer exercises and seminars, 3 credits.