Fall 2016 Graduate Calendar

CHEMISTRY AND BIOCHEMISTRY: COURSES

All of the courses listed will not necessarily be offered in any one year. Topics courses may be taken several times provided the course content is different. Where prerequisites are not stated, consent of the instructor is required.

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59-521. Special Topics in Analytical Chemistry
(Prerequisite: 59-321.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-531. Special Topics In Organic Chemistry
Topics may include polymer chemistry, natural product chemistry, physical organic chemistry, or design and execution of organic syntheses. (Prerequisite: 59-331 or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-535. Advanced Organic Chemistry
Physical organic chemistry. Includes molecular orbital theory, stereochemistry, thermodynamics, and reaction mechanisms. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-541. Statistical Thermodynamics
A detailed picture of the current status of advanced experimental and theoretical research in modern reaction dynamics. Subjects to be discussed include transition state spectroscopy, coincidence imaging techniques, ion imaging applied to the study of chemical dynamics, nonlinear reaction dynamics in both stirred and reaction-diffusion media, theoretical dynamics treatment of chemical reactions. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-542. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
Theory and applications of NMR in chemical problems, including the origin of the NMR phenomenon, Fourier transforms and spectral processing, spectrometer hardware, pulse sequences, NMR interactions, relaxation and chemical exchange, double-resonance experiments and two-dimensional NMR. (2 lecture hours a week).

59-545. Special Topics in Physical Chemistry
(2 lecture hours a week.)

59-546. Advanced Topics in Spectroscopy
Electronic and vibrational spectroscopy of gases, liquids, and solids. Theory and practice of infrared and Raman spectroscopy. Theory and applications of electron spin resonance spectroscopy. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-550. Special Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
A variety of subjects in inorganic chemistry are covered at the discretion of the instructor. The subjects covered may include: main group chemistry, transition metal chemistry, organometallic chemistry, inorganic materials, and group theory. (3 lecture hours a week.)

59-552. Topics in Inorganic Chemistry and Organometallic Chemistry
Topics to be arranged by the instructor, based primarily upon new developments in the field as illustrated by the current research interests of the faculty, as well as by a study of the current literature. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-553. X-ray Crystallography
Theoretical and experimental aspects of single crystal X-ray diffraction methods for the determination of molecular structures. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-564. Advanced DNA Science
An advanced lecture and seminar course dealing with DNA science. The lectures cover the biochemistry of DNA and RNA at the molecular levels, the current research topics and their implications for the future research. The course also contains a seminar component in which a number of selected topics will be discussed and presented by and among participants. (Prerequisites: 59-468 or equivalent, or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-565. Membrane Biochemistry
The structure and function of artificial and natural membranes. Special consideration will be given to the identification and function of membrane proteins. (Prerequisites: 59-360 and 59-361 or 59-362 and 59-363, or equivalent.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-570. Advanced Quantum Chemistry
Perturbation and variation theories. Theories of many electron atoms and general theories of chemical bonds in diatomic and polyatomic molecules. (Prerequisite: 59-341 or equivalent.) (3 lecture hours a week.)

59-581. Analytical Toxicology
Analysis of drugs and other toxic substances in biological fluids. The metabolism of drugs as well as the symptomology of poisoning of common therapeutic drugs and the more common industrial chemicals will be discussed. (Prerequisites: 59-360 and 59-361 or 59-362 and 59-363, or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-600. Directed Special Studies
A special course of studies with content and direction approved by the student's research advisor and supervisory committee. Although there may be no formal lecture requirements, the course will be equivalent to three one-hour lectures a week for one term. The student will be required (a) to produce a critical review which will be assessed by his or her supervisory committee; the presentation and standard of the review must be appropriate for publication in a scientific journal; (b) to spend one term working in an agreed industrial setting; the quality of work will be assessed by the supervisory committee. This work may be related to but not part of the research undertaken in 59-797 or 59-798. (Prerequisite: approval of the Program Committee.)

The course cannot be repeated for credit under (a) above. Under normal circumstances, M.Sc. students may take this course only once; Ph.D. students may register under (b) above for two terms of this industrial experience.

59-620. Analytical Spectroscopy of Surfaces
Surface spectroscopic techniques and their application to the analysis of chemisorbed and physisorbed species and monomolecular layers. (Prerequisite: 59-321 or equivalent.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-630. Synthetic Methods in Organic Chemistry
A study of some important organic reactions with emphasis on their practical application in synthesis. (Prerequisites: 59-330 and 59-331, or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-631. Advanced Topics in Organic Syntheses
The design, execution, and methodology of total syntheses of complex molecules will be discussed. Emphasis will be placed on both retrosynthetic pathways and execution. (Prerequisites: 59-330 and 59-331, or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-633. Current Topics in Organic Chemistry
Topics to be arranged by the instructor, based primarily upon new developments in the field as illustrated by the current research interests of the faculty, as well as by a study of the current literature. (Prerequisites: 59-331 or consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-634. Advanced Topics in Organic Chemistry
Special topics in organic chemistry will be described. Some of these may include natural product chemistry, organometallic chemistry or heterocyclic chemistry. (Prerequisite: consent of instructor.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-636. Advanced Topics in Organic Materials Chemistry
Synthetic approaches as well as physical properties of organic materials such as conducting structures, liquid crystals, dyes, and light emitters are covered. An in-depth understanding of structure-property relationships is the main goal.

59-651. Organometallic Chemistry
A detailed study of selected advanced topics in organometallic chemistry. Typical subjects include (at the discretion of the instructors) main group organometallic chemistry; thermochemical methods in organometallic chemistry; catalysis by organometallics; detailed structural studies. (2 or 3 lecture hours a week.)

59-653. Advanced Topics in Organometallic Chemistry
Topics to be arranged by the instructor, based primarily upon new developments in the field as illustrated by the current research interests of the faculty, as well as by a study of the current literature. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-655. Selected Topics in Inorganic Chemistry
The chemistry and properties of inorganic materials. Typical topics include: methods of synthesis, methods of characterization, and applications of inorganic materials. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-660. Protein Chemistry I
Protein chemistry; chemical modification, protein folding, post-translational modification, lipoproteins, and glycoproteins. (Prerequisite: 59-365 or equivalent.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-661. Protein Chemistry II
Biophysical chemistry; advanced kinetic techniques, pre-steady state, perturbation based methods, review of instrumentation, and examples of how these techniques are currently used to solve biochemical problems. (Prerequisite: 59-660.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-663. Special Topics in Biochemistry
(Prerequisites: 59-360 and 59-361, or 59-362 and 59-363, or equivalent.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-671. Special Topics in Theoretical Chemistry
Topics to be selected by registrants but will generally be molecular orbital calculations for organic and inorganic chemists. (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-680. Strategic Management of Biotech Innovations
The course will provide an overview of the principles underlying the strategic management of innovation with a focus on the biotechnology sector. Topics will include: (i) Sources, types and patterns of innovation (ii) Timing of entry and approaches to improve timing options, (iii) Budget allocation for sustainable R&D projects, (iv) Collaboration strategies, (v) Ways to protect innovations, (vi) Managing new product development teams and (vii) Strategic launching of new products. The course will emphasize concepts and strategies necessary to the development of managerial skills and the appropriate knowledge to identify, evaluate, and manage new biotechnology-based innovations. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-684. Cell Death and Diseases
A detailed biochemical study of physiological (apoptosis) and pathological (necrotic) cell death in mammalian systems. Role of physiological cell death (apoptosis) during development and tissue homeostasis, immune system and cancer. Various inducers of cell death and mechanism of apoptotic cell death. Role of cell death in disease development: viral infections, stroke, and neurodegenerative disorders, oxidative stress, cell death and aging, Therapeutic opportunities: identification of new targets for drug development based on the biochemistry of cell death. Developing new therapeutic approaches e.g. combinatorial treatment for systemic diseases, new vaccine approaches and gene therapy. (2 lecture hours per week.)

59-686. Advanced Bioanalytical Topics
(Prerequisite: 59-360 or 59-362, or equivalent.) (2 lecture hours a week.)

59-710. The Research Proposal
This course focuses on the development and presentation of a research proposal, as well as the cultivation of a wide base of knowledge of the chemical and biochemical literature. Techniques of research proposal composition, with particular reference to subject area, budgetary considerations, and written and oral presentation techniques will be discussed. The student will be required to develop and defend his or her own research proposal in chemistry and/or biochemistry. The subject of this proposal must not be from the research work undertaken for the Ph.D. thesis. A written proposal will be submitted to the student's advisory committee and will be followed by an oral presentation and defense of the proposal. The advisory committee will evaluate the originality, the significance, the clarity of the written and oral presentation, and the student's knowledge of the area in the defense. (Prerequisite: registration in the Ph.D. program. The oral presentation and proposal defense will take place during the term of registration.)

59-795. Seminar

59-797. Master's Thesis

59-798. Doctoral Dissertation

MASTER OF MEDICAL BIOTECHNOLOGY (MMB) - COURSES

59-670. Protein Structure and Function
This course will review and examine the principles of protein structure and how it applies to protein function. Moreover, how protein function is controlled and functional genomics will also be considered. Methodologies used in protein structure determination including mass spectrometry and its applications will also be highlighted. The laboratory section of the course will focus on web based computational programs as they apply to protein structure and function. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-672. Proteomics and Biological Mass Spectrometry
This course will focus on the theory and applications of biological mass spectrometry with particular emphasis on its use in proteome platforms. The most common types of ionization methods and mass analyzers will be thoroughly presented including data interpretation. A major part of the course will cover the applications of this technique in identifying multi-protein complexes, mapping post-translational modifications, and quantitative proteomics. Finally, various techniques that are commonly interfaced with the mass spectrometer will be introduced in order to emphasize proper sample preparation and stimulate discussion on applying mass spectrometry to graduate student’s own projects. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-673. Drugs: From Discovery to Market
This course will introduce students to the relevant concepts and applications of organic synthesis and chemical characterization that lead to the discovery and rational design of therapeutic agents. In addition, the course will cover the fundamentals of the clinical trials process and best regulatory practise's in pharmaceutical industries. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-674. Clinical Biochemistry
Clinical Biochemistry is concerned with the analysis and testing of bodily fluids and tissues. This field is fundamental to patient care and contributes significantly to the diagnosis, treatment, monitoring and prognosis of disease processes. This course is designed to introduce students to the field by covering areas including quality control in clinical testing, automation, clinical enzymology and biomarker discovery. In addition, the course will focus on the design, testing and commercialization of specific clinical tests for: liver function, abnormalities in lipid metabolism, diabetes and related metabolic disorders, fertility/reproduction, cancer and therapeutic drug monitoring. Upon completion of the course the students will get a broad exposure of the current state of the technology for the analysis of clinical samples as well as learning the basic principles in design and testing of clinical assays for a wide range of analytes. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-675. Biochemistry and Cell Biology of Lipids and Membranes
This course focuses on the biochemistry and cell biology of lipids and their role in cellular signaling, with a particular emphasis on the experimental basis of current knowledge. Topics covered include lipid biochemistry, membrane biophysics, the biochemistry and metabolism of small molecules such as steroids and leukotrienes, and an integrative assessment of the role of lipids and membranes in cellular processes such as protein trafficking and intracellular signaling. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-676. Human Physiology and Mechanisms of Disease
This course will cover the field of physiology as it relates to the further understanding, diagnostics, treatment, and human disease-mechanisms of disease. The course is taught from a holistic approach that provides key insights into cellular physiology and associated molecular aspects of biology related to human disease. The course will outline the principles and practice of cell and molecular physiology, pathological pathways, molecular pathogenesis, and molecular mechanisms of disease. It will be followed by investigations and discussion on the practice of molecular medicine and the translational aspects of molecular pathology: molecular diagnostics, molecular assessment, and personalized medicine. Students will be engaged in presentations and discussions of current and future industry trends, medical and research discoveries that are translational by enhancing the identification, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. Topics will include: molecular and cellular mechanisms of cancer; inflammation and immunology; cell death and regulation; stem cell and developmental biology; neurobiology; and gene regulation. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.)

59-677. Biotechnology Laboratory
This intensive laboratory course will primarily simulate the discovery and rapid characterization of genes and gene products (i.e. proteins). Laboratory experiments will include cutting edge biotechnology techniques and traditional biochemical methodology. Students will be introduced to techniques including nucleic acid isolation and amplification (i.e. PCR), regulation of gene expression, cloning, protein isolation and purification, enzyme functional assays and characterization (2-D electrophoresis, mass spectrometry). (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.) (Equivalent to 2 courses.)

59-690. Biotechnology Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship in Biotechnology will provide students an introduction to the complexities and unique problems facing the biotechnology industry. Students will be exposed to the topics most critical for successfully founding, financing and operating a life science company, and will be expected to perform many of the same tasks that founders would normally undertake. Discussions with life-science entrepreneurs, evaluation of existing biotechnology firms, case studies based on recent companies and hands-on work developing entrepreneurial endeavors all will be utilized. (Enrolment restricted to MMB students.) (Equivalent to 2 courses.)