UB Biochemistry Dept. Courses

Department of Biochemistry
School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Course Descriptions and Announcements

Undergraduate Level Courses

BCH 401 - Introduction to Research (1 credit) - Prerequisite: limited to biochemistry majors. Designed for accepted students about to start the upper-division biochemistry program. Meets once per week for one hour, with scheduled library workshops. The course includes critically reading a scientific paper, an introduction to library skills needed to do research, and presentations correlating basic biochemistry knowledge with ongoing research programs in the biochemistry department. Students use these presentations to help them arrange for 2 credit hours of BCH498 for the following semester. (LEC)

BCH 403 - Biochemical Principles (4 credits) - Prerequisites: BIO200, CHE202 One semester general biochemistry course for science majors and students of pharmacy. Covers protein and membrane structure and function, metabolism, and nucleic acid structure and    molecular biology. (LEC)

BCH 405 - Research Topics in Biochemistry (3 credits) - Prerequisites: BCH401, BCH403, BCH404 Focuses on learning cutting-edge biochemistry by reading, analyzing, and discussing research papers. Topics emphasize the molecular and mechanistic aspects of signal transduction in growth, differentiation, development and cancer; and signaling in response to hormones to the nervous system. (SEM)

BCH 498 - Undergraduate Research Participation in Biochemistry (1-8 credits) -    Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Under the direction of faculty, original investigation project involving library and lab work. Open to majors as a senior research project. (TUT)

BCH 499 - Independent Study (1-6 credits) - For students having specific academic interests or objectives; department faculty sponsor required before preregistration. (TUT)

Graduate Level Courses

BCH 500(A) - Dental Biochemistry (2 credits) (1st semester) - This biochemistry course gives students a fundamental understanding of the molecular basis for the function (and malfunction) of living tissue. This course provides a clear conceptual picture of the overall organizing principles and fundamental chemical forces that underlie life. In many ways, biochemistry functions as the most fundamental of the basic sciences and provides a foundation for the other basic science courses and clinical science courses that will follow.    The course provides a broad understanding of the molecular basis of life. A thorough understanding of basic concepts prepares the dentist for continuing professional growth and provides an understanding of the biochemical basis for future treatment modalities. (LEC)

BCH 503 - Biochemical Principles (4 credits) - For those students who need graduate credit. Dual listed with BCH 403. One semester general biochemistry course for science majors and students of pharmacy. Covers protein and membrane structure and function, metabolism, and nucleic acid structure and molecular biology. (LEC)

BCH 504 - Journal Club/Seminar (1 credit) - The Journal Club will meet weekly to consider a current paper, or papers on a related topic that represents a significant    contribution to biochemistry. A major goal of this exercise is to help students develop skills in the presentation of scientific work to an audience - skills which are critical to success in science. (SEM)

BCH 512 - Developmental Genomics (2 credits) - Designed for second year graduate students, Developmental Genomics will focus on how the spatial and temporal readout of the genome is achieved during development, and conversely on how forced changes in gene expression patterns can affect developmental processes. (SEM)

BCH 607/MIC 607 - DNA Replication & Repair (2 credits) - This course is cross-listed in the Departments of Microbiology and Biochemistry. This is for advanced Ph.D. students that will consist of a single, two-hour meeting per week. It will utilize a seminar/journal club format and all class readings will consist of primary research articles in the general areas of DNA replication, DNA repair, and how these processes are regulated.   It is anticipated that all students taking this course will have satisfactorily completed BMS503 or an equivalent advanced graduate-level biochemistry course covering biosynthesis of DNA in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In addition students should have experience in the reading and analysis of primary research articles. Students will be graded on their presentations of the primary research articles and on their participation of in class discussions. (SEM)

BMS 503 - Principles of Biochemistry (4 credits) - Topics covered include chemical principles of biologic systems; chemical and physical properties of nucleotides, amino acids, proteins and water; protein structure and stability; introduction to steady-state kinetics; enzyme mechanism; controlling enzyme activity; metabolic circuitry; glucose transport and metabolism; pyruvate metabolism; the TCA cycle; electron flow and Ox-Phos; glycogen metabolism; gluconeogenesis and the pentose shunt; fatty acid catabolism and synthesis; disposal of nitrogen: the urea cycle; amino acid catabolism and synthesis; integrating metabolism: fed and fasted states and exercise; structure of nucleic acids; physical properties of nucleic acids, DNA replication and repair; transcription and its control; RNA processing and Translation. (LEC)

Undergraduate Level Courses

BCH 404 - Advanced Topics in Biochemistry (2 credits) - Prerequisites: BCH401, BCH403. This course will cover five areas of Biochemistry beyond the basic survey course BCH 403. Each subject area will be covered in three weeks: one week with lecture material, one week with detailed faculty-led discussion of reviews and literature papers and one week of presentation of papers by students. (LEC/DISC)

BCH 407 - Research Presentations (1 credit) - Prerequisite: limited to senior biochemistry majors
Students attend one research seminar per week involving biochemistry and write a two- to three-page report of that seminar. If the student obtains a paper by the seminar speaker and incorporates that into the report, it takes the place of one seminar. (SEM)

BCH 408 - Gene Expression (2 credits) - Prerequisite: permission of instructor
This course is designed to familiarize students with up-to-date concepts in eukaryotic gene expression. Through a classroom discussion of selected papers, students are introduced to current issues in gene transcription, mRNA processing, and their regulation. (SEM)

BCH 498 - Undergraduate Research Participation in Biochemistry (1-8 credits) - Prerequisite: permission of instructor. Under the direction of faculty, original investigation project involving library and lab work. Open to majors as a senior research project. (TUT)

BCH 502 - Genome Annotation (3 credits) - Prerequisite: Depth requirement OR Honors experience (Graduate Course)
"We will discuss how genes are regulated and how researchers find and test suspected regulatory sequences. Students will be introduced to the concepts and conduct of genome annotation and learn how to use powerful web-based bioinformatics tools and resources through hands-on experience in a computer lab. Students taking this seminar should have a basic background in genetics and molecular biology from having taken classes such as any of BIO 319, BCH 404, BCH 408, or the equivalent." (SEM)

Graduate Level Courses

BCH 500(B) - Dental Biochemistry - (2nd semester) [For description see BCH 500(A), below].

BCH 504 - Journal Club/Seminar (1 credit) - The Journal Club will meet weekly to consider a current paper, or papers on a related topic that represents a significant contribution to biochemistry. A major goal of this exercise is to help students develop skills in the presentation of scientific work to an audience - skills which are critical to success in science. (SEM)

BCH 507 - Protein Structure and Function (2 credits) - Prerequisites: BMS503 or BCH403/503. The primary objective of this course is for students to become familiar with the principal, broad questions in protein structural biology and the biophysical strategies used to answer them. These strategies will include: protein engineering, kinetics, calorimetry, fluorescence, atomic force microscopy, surface plasmon resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Specific topics will include: folding pathways and protein design; steady-state and transient kinetics; protein origins of enzyme catalysis; and protein allostery. (LEC) (Link to: Dr. Kosman's Teaching Home Page For Additional Information)

BCH 508 - Gene Expression (2 credits) - The objective of this course is to familiarize students with up-to-date concepts and experimental approaches used in the study of eukaryotic gene expression. The main focus of the course is the molecular mechanisms involved in RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) transcription. Specific topics include: i) the structure and function of RNAPII and required auxiliary factors; ii) the molecular mechanisms of transcriptional activation and repression; iii) the coupling of transcriptional elongation with mRNA processing; and iv) specific examples of the role of regulated RNA polymerase II transcription in development and cellular differentiation. Each week, 1-2 selected papers from the scientific literature will be discussed in class, with students taking turns presenting 1 or 2 figures and the instructor providing clarification and/or additional questions as appropriate. (SEM)

BCH 519 - Introduction to Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (3 credits) - This course will introduce graduate students to the concepts and practices of Bioinformatics including computational analysis of DNA and protein sequences, analysis of large scale DNA and protein datasets, statistical analysis of sequence alignments and gene array datasets, proteomics, and RNA and protein structure prediction. This 3 credit course will be taught on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10:30 am -12:00 pm. The Tuesday session will be didactic lectures introducing the topic of the week and giving out assignments for completion at or prior to the Thursday lab session. The Thursday lab will focus on practical use of the concepts taught in the Tuesday lecture and will be conducted by either the Tuesday lecturer, another faculty member who is expert in the particular analysis being performed, or both. Assignments completed by the students for the Lab sessions will be graded by the appropriate instructor and used to determine the students grade in the course.

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