BIOMG 4311

Proteins: Structure, Function and Evolution

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2024-2025.

Students in this course will discover the complex behavior of proteins and how they impact biology. The course is divided into three different sections. The first section is a classic protein structure-function section incorporating advanced enzyme kinetics. The second section of this course will review how proteins evolve and how this can be practically analyzed. After the course's final section, students will be able to integrate the theory behind purifying and analyzing proteins with modern spectroscopy and microscopy techniques.

When Offered Fall.

Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: BIOMG 3300, or BIOMG 3350, or BIOMG 3310/BIOMG 3320 and CHEM 3570 and CHEM 3580. Recommended prerequisite: physical chemistry course.

• Construct a hierarchy detailing the levels of protein structure and the general theory of protein folding.
• Perform a quantitative and qualitative assessment of enzyme function, including evaluating equations defining enzyme reaction mechanisms and constructing models defining the specific steps in enzymatic reactions.
• Develop methodologies to purify and characterize proteins and enzymes that demonstrate their ability to integrate theory and practical application for single particle analysis.
• Describe methods to acquire and synthesize information related to protein sequence and structure evolution.
• Model the relationship between homologous proteins across kingdoms of life and generate phylogenetic trees.

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