Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

Recommended preparation, one year of high school chemistry. Designed for students who desire a background in biochemistry as it relates to the human body, such as premed, prenursing, predental hygiene, and allied health. Brief review of inorganic and organic chemistry, followed by a survey of biochemistry (survey continues in BIOC 108).

Designed for premed, prenursing, predental hygiene, allied health, and all students who desire a background in biochemistry as it relates to the human body. One year of high school chemistry required. Continuation of BIOC 107; covers basic and clinically relevant aspects of biochemistry. Online lecture (asynchronous) with an optional in person meeting once per week. One online lab session per week.

Focuses on enzyme architecture to illustrate how the shapes of enzymes are designed to optimize the catalytic step and become allosterically modified to regulate the rate of catalysis.

This class is designed to 1) enhance students' ability to present scientific material to their peers in a comprehensive, cohesive manner, 2) familiarize students with scientific concepts and technologies used in multiple disciplines, 3) expose students to cutting edge research, 4) prepare students to gain substantial meaning from seminars and to ask questions, and 5) enhance students' ability to evaluate scientific papers and seminars.

This course explores cutting edge research in molecular biology -- the investigation at molecule-scale of the mechanisms behind life. We briefly review core-principles in molecular biology, then investigate more recent research that extends or overturns these core principles.

Required preparation for undergraduates, at least one undergraduate course in both biochemistry and genetics. The purpose of this course is to provide historical, basic, and current information about the flow and regulation of genetic information from DNA to RNA in a variety of biological systems. Three lecture hours a week.

This course focuses on the application of mathematics to topics important in biophysics, such as thermodynamics and electrostatics. The unit is designed to help students perform more efficiently in BIOC 650, 651, and 652.

Required preparation, two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Basic molecular models and their use in developing statistical descriptions of macromolecular function. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Required preparation, two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Macromolecules as viewed with modern computational methods. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Required preparation, two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Stability of macromolecules and their complexes with other molecules. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Principles of macromolecular structure and function with emphasis on proteins, molecular assemblies, enzyme mechanisms, and ATP enzymology.

Fundamentals of optics and light microscope design for the novice student.

Theory and practice of biophysical methods used in the study of interactions between macromolecules and their ligands, including surface plasmon resonance, analytical ultracentrifugation, and calorimetry.

Principles and practice of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: applications to biological macromolecule structure and dynamics in solution. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Lab section for BIOC 663A. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Required preparation, two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Principles of UV, IR, Raman, fluorescence, and spin resonance spectroscopies; applications to the study of macromolecules and membranes. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Advanced NMR Spectroscopy

Principles of protein crystallography, characterization of crystals, theory of diffraction, phasing of macromolecular crystals and structure refinement. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

A combined lecture/laboratory workshop for serious students of protein crystallography. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

A combined lecture/computer lab treatment of the principles of macromolecular dynamics and structure as approached using the tools of molecular dynamics simulations. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

BIOC 667 is recommended for crystallography students. Permission of the instructor for students lacking the prerequisite. A combined lecture/laboratory workshop for serious students of protein crystallography or cryo-electron microscopy, addressing experimental model building, refinement, and analysis. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

A combined lecture/computer lab course introducing the methods and principles of biological data management as this relates to macromolecular sequence analysis. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

This class is a 10-week summer course in biophysics.

A lecture module that introduces students to mass spectrometry-based proteomics in new biology discovery and precision medicine. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Ion Channels Transporters

This course will provide a survey of biological applications of cryo-EM, with a particular emphasis on single particle techniques used to determine high-resolution structures of macromolecules. Students will have a basic understanding of cryo-EM theory, the methodology for creating samples and collecting data, and strategies for reconstructing 3D models of macromolecules. Course previously offered as BIOC 708.

An intensive, six-hour per week introduction to the fundamentals of ion channel biophysics, including laboratory sessions to demonstrate principles and methods. Course intended primarily for graduate students.

Special topics course. Content and topics will vary each semester.