BIOMG 6321 - Principles of Biochemistry: Molecular Biology

Spring. 2 credits. Student option grading.

Prerequisite: one majors-level biology course. Prerequisite or corequisite: one course in organic chemistry, or permission of instructor. Co-meets with BIOMG 3320.

A. Grimson, M. Smolka.

Comprehensive course in molecular biology that covers the structure and properties of DNA, DNA replication and repair, synthesis and processing of RNA and proteins, the regulation of gene expression, and the principles and applications of recombinant DNA technologies, genomics, and proteomics.

Outcome 1: After taking BIOMG 3320, students should be able to: Discuss and describe in writing:
• Nucleic acids: chemical composition, biological function, DNA sequence evolution. Nucleic acid technologies and techniques; recombinant DNA.
• Genomes: composition, complexity and diversity. Sequencing: from gene fragments to whole-genomes; comparative genomics.
• Chromatin: genome and DNA topology, associated proteins, higher-order structures.
• DNA replication and recombination: mechanisms, repair, telomeres.
• Transcription, prokaryotic and eukaryotic; regulation.
• RNA: classes, processing; non-coding RNA.
• Translation: genetic code, mechanism, proteomics; post-translational modifications.

Outcome 2: Think analytically and use quantitative reasoning to solve biochemical problems.

Outcome 3: Formulate conclusions based on the analysis of biochemical experimental results.