Using the Central dogma of molecular biology, the different classes of biomolecules will be analized, using organic chemistry to understand the synthesis (bio- and laboratory synthesis) and the function of the molecules that constitute living organisms.
A list of suggested textbooks will be given at the beginning of the cours
Learning Objectives
At the end of the course, the students should be familiar with the main classes of biomolecules and the monomers from which they are formed, they should know the importance of their combinatorial architecture and understand their interactions with other molecules and, consequently, their function and possible manipulation
Prerequisites
basic knowledge of organic chemistry
Teaching Methods
thaught lesson, interactive teaching and excercises
Type of Assessment
oral exam
Course program
Diversification and selection as basis for evolution. Combinatorial assembly generates diversity in nature. The energetics of reactivity and the non-bonding interactions among molecules. Nucleic acids. DNA: its structure, (deoxy)mnucleotides and their characteristics, chemical synthesis of DNA, Incorporation of non-natural deoxynucleotides in DNA for the study of viral infection. Small molecules that bind DNA repeats as probes for some neurodegenerative diseases. Alkylating agents as anticancer drugs and their interaction with DNA. RNA:difference with DNA (structure and stability), synthesis of RNA, RNA as catalyst, sliceosome vs ribozymes. Translation of RNA into proteins. Amino acids and proteins, chemical properties, forces that determine their structures, What are receptors, receptor-ligand interaction. Catalytic function of proteins. Enyzmes and their application in organic synthesis (examples: lipases, esterases, oxidoreductases). Coenzymes. Kinases and GPCRs and their role as targets in bioorganic and medicinal chemistry. Chemical synthesis of peptides and proteins. Posttranslational modifications. Glycoproteins. Introduction to other classes of biomolecules (glycans, polyketides and terpenes). Chemical control of signal transduction: some examples from the recent scientific literature.