BSc Medical Biochemistry / Course details

Proteins perform a vast array of functions within living organisms. This unit will covering a range of high profile, contemporary topics in Protein Science, from folding and assembly through to dynamics and membrane transport. You will also study how structural studies of macromolecular assemblies are leading to the development of nanodevices.

• BIOL21111 Proteins (Compulsory)

The unit aims to provide students with an introduction to modern Protein Science, covering a representative range of high profile, contemporary topics, from folding, design and assembly through to dynamics and membrane transport.

Knowledge of the way in which proteins fold, assemble, self-polymerise, move and can be observed.

A) Protein Engineering: Protein stability; techniques used to study protein structure. Protein folding landscapes and pathways. Design of new proteins
B) Protein dynamics: methods used to study it, including NMR, hydrogen exchange/mass spectrometry and simulations. Role in protein function.
C) Membrane proteins/transporters and receptors, including methods to probe dynamics such as HDX-MS. Sym and Antiporters. ABC transporters. Ion channels.
D) Macromolecular machines and nanobiotechnology. How structural studies of macromolecular assemblies are leading to the development of nanodevices.

• Online discussion.
• Feedback on data handling problems.

Papers will additionally be recommended by individual lecturers.

Recommended Reading

1. Lesk, AM, Introduction to Protein Science Architecture, Function & Genomics (ISBN 987-0-19-954130), Oxford University Press, 2010, Recommended
2. Petsko, G & Ringe, D, Protein Structure and Function: Primers in Biology (ISBN 978-1-4051-1922-1), Wiley-Blackwell, 2003, Recommended
3. Whitford, D, Proteins: Structure and Function (ISBN: 0-471-49894-7), John Wiley & Sons Ltd, 2005, Recommended
4. Williamson, M, How Proteins Work (ISBN: 0815344465), Taylor & Francis 2011, Recommended