SECOND YEAR COURSES IN BIOCHEMISTRY

Course description BCH 201

Aqueous biochemistry & buffers, building blocks in biochemistry: amino acids & proteins, nucleotides DNA & RNA, carbohydrates, lipids & membranes; scientific writing; bioenergetics & metabolism; membrane transporters.

Course description BCH 202

Biochemical techniques: This course is taught in the context of protein purification and analysis and includes: protein purification strategies; cell disruption and centrifugation; chromatography; spectroscopy; electrophoresis; enzyme kinetics; and immunological techniques.

Course Co-ordinator

Your course coordinator is Dr Brendan Wilhelmi, Address (b.wilhelmi@ru.ac.za).  All queries and comments about the course should be addressed to your course coordinator.

THIRD YEAR COURSES IN BIOCHEMISTRY

Course Description

There are two independent third-year courses in Biochemistry. BCH 301 is normally held in the first semester and BCH 302 in the second semester. Credit may be obtained in each course separately, and, in addition, an aggregate mark of at least 50% will be deemed to be equivalent to a two-credit course BCH 3, provided that a candidate obtains the required subminimum in each semester. These courses each comprise several modules and weekly practicals. Students may also be required to undertake a mini research project.

BCH 301:

Biochemistry of information flow: the structure of chromosomes and plasmids; DNA replication and repair; transcription and regulation of gene expression; protein synthesis, molecular biology techniques, recombinant DNA techniques and heterologous protein production and applications in forensics, diagnostics, pharmaceutics, industry and agriculture. Signal transduction in the context of hormones and neurotransmission. Protein trafficking and organelle formation: the formation of eukaryotic cell organelles and their protein compositions. Protein- protein interactions: research methods to detect protein interactions.

BCH 302:

Advanced metabolism, enzyme kinetics and mechanisms; advanced enzyme kinetics; advanced theory and application of computational methods and tools for the visualisation and modelling of enzymes.

Course Co-ordinator

Your course coordinator is Prof Brett Pletschke, (b.pletschke@ru.ac.za). All queries and comments about the course should be addressed to your course coordinator.

Last Modified: Thu, 22 Feb 2024 11:49:53 SAST