Biochemistry And Molecular Biology
Curriculum By Quarter

The course is intended as an introduction to biochemistry and molecular biology for first year graduate students, first year medical students, and advanced undergraduates. It has three sections. The first is the structure and function of macromolecules (proteins, including enzymes, and nucleic acids) and supramolecular aggregates such as biological membranes. The second section is on cellular metabolism, emphasizing enzymatic mechanisms, cellular compartmentalization, and integration of metabolic systems. The third is the beginning of molecular biology of the gene, emphasizing DNA replication, transcription, and translation. Prereq: Two quarters of organic chemistry. Meredith, Philipson

The course covers the physico?chemical phenomena that define protein structure and function. Topics include: 1) the interactions/forces that define polypeptide conformation; 2) the principles of protein folding, structure and design; and 3) the concepts of molecular motion, molecular recognition, and enzyme catalysis. PQ: BMB 30100, which may be taken concurrently, or equivalent.

This course focused on the biochemistry of nucleic acids. Topics include nucleic acid structure, folding, and chemistry, protein-nucleic acid interactions, non-coding RNA's and the enzymology of key processes such as DNA repair and recombination. A special emphasis is placed on primary literature. Prereq: Courses in Biochemistry, molecular biology and organic chemistry. Rice, Pan, Sosnick

Fundamental principles of genetics discussed in the context of current approaches to mapping and functional characterization of genes. The relative strengths and weaknesses of leading model organisms are emphasized via problem-solving and critical reading of original literature. MGCB 31400 Bishop, Ferguson, Glotzer, Palmer, Malamy

Eukaryotic protein traffic and related topics, including molecular motors and cytoskeletal dynamics, organelle architecture and biogenesis, protein translocation and sorting, compartmentalization in the secretory pathway, endocytosis and exocytosis, and mechanisms and regulation of membrane fusion. MGCB 31600 Turkewitz, Glick

This course will expose students to current research topics in biochemistry and molecular biology by highlighting a selection of speakers from the weekly seminar series. Prior to each highlighted seminar, we will discuss relevant papers and subsequently, we will review the seminar. This is a required credit course for all BMB first year students and will be graded as Pass/Fail. Fiebig

Lectures on current research by departmental faculty and other invited speakers. A required course for all first-year graduate students. Staff

Subject matter for individual tutorial-based study is selected through prior consultation and is given under the guidance of a faculty member. The student and faculty member must indicate at time of registration whether the course will be taken on a letter grade or pass/fail basis. Prereq: Consent of Department and Instructor. Staff

The student participates in one of the research programs of the Department. Prereq: Consent of Department Chairman and individual faculty member. Staff

The student conducts original investigation under the direction of a faculty member. The research is presented and defended as a dissertation in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prereq: Completion of course requirements and qualifying examination at the Ph.D. level and approval of Chairman of the Department. Staff

This course emphasizes the basic principles of protein structure determination by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy. The underlying physical concepts of these methods will be introduced and the capabilities of each will be discussed and compared in context of their uses in de novo structure determination and protein engineering studies. Kossiakoff, Koide

The course covers nucleic acid structure and DNA topology, recombinant DNA technology, DNA replication, DNA damage, mutagenesis and repair, Transposons and site-specific recombination, prokaryotic and eukaryotic transcription and its regulation, RNA structure, splicing and catalytic RNAs, protein synthesis, and chromatin. MGCB 31000 Storb, Staley

Nucleic acid structure; methodology; nucleic-acid protein interactions; mechanisms of transcription and replication. Regulation of transcription in prokaryotes, and of DNA replication in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. MGCB 31200 Rothman-Denes

Advanced coverage of genetic mechanisms involved in genome stability and rearrangement in lower and higher organisms. Topics include the genetics of mutagenesis, DNA repair, homologous and site specific recombination,transposition and chromosome segregation. MGCB 31500 Bishop, Ellis, Shapiro

Lectures on current research by departmental faculty and other invited speakers. A required course for all first-year graduate students. Staff

This course will be an in depth assessment of the structure and function of biological membranes. In addition to lectures, directed discussions of papers from the literature will be used. The main topics of the courses are: (1) Energetic and thermodynamic principles associated with membrane formation, stability and solute transport (2) membrane protein structure, (3) lipid-protein interactions, (4) bioenergetics and transmembrane transportmechanisms, and (5) specific examples of membrane protein systems and their function (channels, transporters, pumps, receptors). Emphasis will be placed on biophysical approaches in these areas. The primary literature will be the main source of reading. Perozo, Roux

Subject matter for individual tutorial-based study is selected through prior consultation and is given under the guidance of a faculty member. The student and faculty member must indicate at time of registration whether the course will be taken on a letter grade or pass/fail basis. Prereq: Consent of Department and Instructor. Staff

The student participates in one of the research programs of the Department. Prereq: Consent of Department Chairman and individual faculty member. Staff

The student conducts original investigation under the direction of a faculty member. The research is presented and defended as a dissertation in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prereq: Completion of course requirements and qualifying examination at the Ph.D. level and approval of Chairman of the Department. Staff

This course presents a series of advanced case studies designed to familiarize students with current single molecule research. Topics include: motor proteins and the cytoskeleton, nucleic acid processing enzymes, ion channels, and force spectroscopy and macromolecule folding. Rock

Eukaryotic Gene Expression. Transcription and Posttranscriptional Regulation. Analysis of regulatory pathways and mechanisms involved in the control of eukaryotic gene activity. MGCB 31300 Singh, Staley

This course will expose students to current research topics in biochemistry and molecular biology by highlighting a selection of speakers from the weekly seminar series. Prior to each highlighted seminar, we will discuss relevant papers and subsequently, we will review the seminar. This is a required credit course for all BMB first year students and will be graded as Pass/Fail. Fiebig

The course will expose students to modern biophysical methods and to provide background for use of existing facilities at The University of Chicago. Topics will include the measurement of physical properties of biological molecules including structure, thermodynamics, and kinetics. The primary focus will be on practical aspects but will cover a sufficient amount of theoretical background for the proper understanding of the technique. Prereq. BCMB 30500 or consent of instructor. Sosnick

Subject matter for individual tutorial-based study is selected through prior consultation and is given under the guidance of a faculty member. The student and faculty member must indicate at time of registration whether the course will be taken on a letter grade or pass/fail basis. Prereq: Consent of Department and Instructor. Staff

The student participates in one of the research programs of the Department. Prereq: Consent of Department Chairman and individual faculty member. Staff

The student conducts original investigation under the direction of a faculty member. The research is presented and defended as a dissertation in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prereq: Completion of course requirements and qualifying examination at the Ph.D. level and approval of Chairman of the Department. Staff

This course will focus on introducing graduate students to the application of computational and database tools that are used to mine and visualize genomic data. Array data collected by students early in the course will be used as a working set to apply tools and algorithms that make metabolic and signaling pathway predictions, protein domain structure and COG predictions, and sequence and pathway homology alignments. Crosson

Subject matter for individual tutorial-based study is selected through prior consultation and is given under the guidance of a faculty member. The student and faculty member must indicate at time of registration whether the course will be taken on a letter grade or pass/fail basis. Prereq: Consent of Department and Instructor. Staff

The student participates in one of the research programs of the Department. Prereq: Consent of Department Chairman and individual faculty member. Staff

The student conducts original investigation under the direction of a faculty member. The research is presented and defended as a dissertation in candidacy for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Prereq: Completion of course requirements and qualifying examination at the Ph.D. level and approval of Chairman of the Department. Staff