Fundamentals of Biochemistry

Learning Outcomes

The module will introduce some of the macromolecules found in cells, how these are synthesized, and the role they play. First, the structure and function of the various forms of nucleic acid are described and how the genetic information is passed on from one generation to another. Next, the structures of the amino acids used to synthesize proteins and the various characteristics they contribute to the final protein are discussed, which leads onto a description of how protein chains fold, the structures of fully folded proteins and the nature of forces that stabilize the folded protein. Then, particular examples of proteins are explored: enzymes and membrane proteins, with the latter topic including a description of the other molecules found in membranes. The final class of macromolecule is the carbohydrates, focusing on their structural roles in biological organisms in semester 1, with energy provision roles covered in semester 2. Subsequent semester 1 lectures build upon the basic DNA and protein knowledge to illustrate how DNA can be manipulated by modern molecular biology techniques and how genes can be located in extracts of DNA, isolated and then cloned into plasmid vectors for high expression of the protein they encode. Having introduced the types of macromolecule found in living organisms in semester 1, in semester 2 the module moves on to the major metabolic pathways that convert macromolecules consumed in the diet into energy, including how these pathways are regulated and altered by physiological and pathological scenarios such as starvation, exercise and diabetes. The causes and consequences of inborn mutations in key steps in these metabolic pathways are discussed, including options for treatment with DNA technology or drugs.

This module consists of 42 lectures, 4 lab-based practical sessions and 2 computer practicals.