Enzymology

Recommended Prerequisites

 Organic Chemistry, Biologic Chemistry; Biochemistry. English and Mathematics.   

Teaching Methods

This is an intensive 4 weeks course, with theoric and laboratorial lectures. Students will have to write a small experimental project aiming to isolate and characterize an enzyme including its kinetic parameters. To this end students will have to search the best methods in scientific papers and discuss the scientific content of the papers used to achieve their goal.  

Learning Outcomes

At the end of this unit students must establish molecular structure/activity relationships and predict its implications in enzymes mechanisms. This is fundamental to the acquisition of competences to solve problems with impact in daily life e.g., health and environment. Students should also acquire skills to initiate a research or industrial career (food, pharmaceutics or biotechnology) in the country or abroad . Therefore, students should know:

- Isolate and characterize enzymes;

- Know and apply enzyme kinetics concepts;

- How to construct enzyme inhibitors.  

Work Placement(s)

No

Syllabus

 1. Enzyme reaction physic-chemical fundaments

- Chemical catalysis: termodynamic and kinetics features;

- Functional groups structure/activity relationship

   •Active site structures and enzyme mechanisms. Classification of enzymes according to the mechanisms;

   •Stereospecificity and stereoselectivity

2. Catalytic strategies as adaptive mechanisms to overcome problems

3. Catalytic specificity and regulatory strategies:

   •Allosteric regulation

   •Regulation by reversible and irreversible covalent modification

4. Applied enzymology

   •Fundaments and strategies of enzymatic assays;

   •Fundaments of proteins engineering;

   •Catalytic antibodies (abzymes);

   •Ribozymes;

   •Production of enzymes in heterologous systems;

   •Biotechnology applications.   

Assessment Methods

Assessment
Project: 40.0%
Exam: 60.0%

Bibliography

 Even though there is no recommended bibliography, because major scientific literature on the syllabus is available free online, students may consult the following  major biochemistry books

1. D. L. Nelson & M. M. Cox (2010) Lehninger Principles of Biochemistry, 6th ed., W.H. Freeman and Company, New York, USA

2. J. M . Berg, J. L. Tymoczko & L. Stryer (2007) Biochemistry, 6th ed., W. H.Freeman and Company, New York, USA

3. R.H. Garrett & C.M. Grisham (2000) Biochemistry, 2nd ed., Saunders College, Publishing, Orlando, USA