521-203 Macromolecular Structure and Bioinformatics

Note

This subject is strongly recommended for those intending to enrol in 521-307.

Credit Points

Coordinator

Prerequisites

Physics 640-121 and 122 or 640-141 and 142, Chemistry 610-121 and 122 (before 1998) or 610-141 and 142.

Semester

Contact

Subject Description

By the end of the program the student should have acquired: knowledge of the fundamental areas of protein and nucleic acid structure and function and bioinformatics (computational molecular biology) necessary for those who wish to continue studies in relevant areas of macromolecular biophysics and bioinformatics; an overview of the theory of methodologies for the determination and computational analyses of macromolecular structures; an appreciation of the Human Genome Project and its impact on the developing field of Bioinformatics; and basic practical skills in the use of personal computers and molecular graphics software for the analysis and modelling of protein and nucleic acid structures derived from relevant sequence data bases. The content includes: An overview of protein and nucleic acid structure and function; sequence determination of proteins and nucleic acids, strategies involved in the Human Genome and related sequencing programs; solution properties of macromolecules including their hydrodynamic behaviour and sedimentation in the ultracentrifuge; protein sequence alignments; algorithms for predicting protein structure and folding; functional motif consensus sequences; energy minimisation of peptide structures; protein-solvent and protein-ligand interactions; DNA-protein interactions; practical training in the use of molecular graphics for analysing and modelling protein and nucleic acid structures.

Assessment

A 2-hour end of semester written examination (80%) plus computer assignments including a written report (20%).