Chemical Biology

The field of chemical biology lies at the interface of chemistry and biology. It uses chemistry, chemical principles, and notably molecules to study and solve important issues in biology. The course will focus on chemical and biological syntheses and behaviours of relevant molecules for chemical biology, primarily carbohydrates, peptides and nucleic acids, as well as their uses in addressing biological questions. Bio-orthogonal reactions and the use of the compounds derivatized as chemical probes will also be discussed. This course will also have an emphasis on critical reading of recent literature and presentation on this to the group.

On completion of this course, the student will be able to:

• Demonstrate an appreciation of the chemical nature of biological systems and the biological behaviour of chemicals.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the chemical and biological synthesis of biomolecules (nucleic acids, peptides, and carbohydrates).
• Demonstrate an understanding of the three dimensional structure of biomolecules, and how this structure interacts with function.
• Demonstrate an understanding of recent developments in selection-based discovery methods, bio-orthogonal chemistry, and chemical probes of biological systems
• Critically read research articles in the literature, and present this information in a manner accessible to peers.

Participants should have a solid foundation in organic chemistry and biochemistry. This course will assume reasonable knowledge of chemical functional groups, reactivity, and mechanisms. A second year chemistry course level is required, such as FA-CPS-311 or SK-BORC13 or equivalent, while aspects of a third year chemistry course would be beneficial, such as SK-BORC3 or equivalent. A first year biochemistry course is also recommended.