Course Descriptions in Physiology & Biophysics

 

Foundations of Biophysics and Structural Biology I

(GMS BY 762)

Course Director: David Atkinson, Ph.D.

Description:

This graduate level course provides a thorough grounding in the theory and major experimental methods of biophysics and structural biology. It covers x-ray diffraction, crystallography, electron microscopy and image processing.

Topics include:

  • Macromolecular conformation and the principles of symmetry
  • Fourier transforms
  • Structural electron microscopy and image processing
  • X-ray diffraction, scattering and crystallography

A full course description and schedule is available

 

Foundations of Biophysics and Structural Biology II

(GMS BY 763)

Course Director: David Atkinson, Ph.D.

Description:

This graduate level course provides a thorough grounding in the theory and major experimental methods of biophysics and structural biology. It covers thermodynamic and spectroscopic methods, computational biology and structural NMR..

Topics include:

  • Macromolecular conformation and the principles of symmetry
  • Thermodynamic methods
  • Spectroscopic methods
  • Structural nuclear magnetic resonance
  • Computational biology

A full course description and schedule is available

 

Biophysics of Macromolecular Assemblies I

(GMS BY 776)

Course Director: G. Graham Shipley, Ph.D.

Description:

This graduate level course covers the concepts of the assembly of biomacromolecules, their structure and stabilizing forces, and biological function as related to structure. Examples are drawn from protein and protein-nucleic acid assemblies, and membrane proteins.

Topics include:

  • Protein Folding Motifs and Quaternary Assembly
  • Protein Assemblies: Hemoglobin,Clathrin, Spectrin, Actin, Myosin and Tubulin
  • Protein-Nucleic Acid Assemblies: Chromatin, Ribosomes, Rod-shaped and Spherical Viruses Viruses

A full course description is available (pdf format)

 

Biophysics of Macromolecular Assemblies II

(GMS BY 777)

Course Director: G. Graham Shipley, Ph.D.

Description:

This graduate level course covers the concepts of the assembly of biomacromolecules, their structure and stabilizing forces, and biological function as related to structure. Examples are drawn from assemblies of lipoproteins, phospholipids, and membrane proteins.

Topics include:

  • Lipid Assemblies: Thermodynamics, Surface behavior, Structure,Mesomorphic states and liquid crystals
  • Plasma Lipoproteins: Lipid, Lipid phase behavior, Apoproteins, Assembly, Interconversions, and Uptake
  • Biological Membranes: Organization, Bacteriorhodopsin, Photosynthetic Reaction Center, Porins, Bacterial Toxins, Influenza Virus Hemaggutinin, and Potassium Channel

A full course description is available (pdf format)

 

Special Topics Seminar Course: BY871, BY872 and PH841, PH842

All Students learn how to:

  • Read and critically analyze papers ,
  • Present orally/visually the essential points of the paper,
  • Ask questions and answer them,
  • Learn the basics of scientific writing (papers and grants).

A full course description is available (pdf format)

 

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy in Biology and Biochemistry

Course Director: James A. Hamilton, Ph.D.

2 Credit Hours
Thursday, 1:30-3:13

Course Description:

This graduate level course will build on the basic principles of NMR to give an introduction to modern NMR and magnetic imaging methods applied to biological systems.

Topics will include:

  • Basic physical principles
  • Fourier transform NMR spectroscopy and instrumentation, with lab demonstration
  • Multinuclear NMR
  • The biologically interesting nuclei
  • Comparison of high resolution NMR of 1H, 2H, 12C and 31P application to lipids, membranes and proteins
  • Metabolism and pathology studies by NMR
  • Solid state and magic angle spinning NMR of membranes and lipid crystals
  • 2-D NMR of peptides
  • Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in medicine

Consent of Instructor required.

 

Metabolism and Cellular Functions of Complex Lipids

Instructor: R. Andrew Zoeller Ph.D.

Description:

This course provides an in-depth desription of selected areas of lipid meabolism. An empahasis is given to functional roles of specific lipid species in cellular process (e.g. cell activation, protein transport and function). The course uses timely articles to discuss newly developed techniques and concepts.

Topics include:

  • Phospholipid Biosynthesis: Pathways and Regulation
  • Isolation and use of Somatic Cell Mutants
  • Lipid Transport
  • Covalent Modification of Proteins by Lipids
  • Gram-Negative Endotoxin: Receptors, Signaling & Pathology
  • Cholesterol & Lipoproteins