Biochemistry and molecular biology

wfarm1221s  2021-2022  Bruxelles Woluwe

Biochemistry and molecular biology
6.00 credits
50.0 h + 10.0 h
Q1
Teacher(s)
Delzenne Nathalie (coordinator);
Language
French
Prerequisites

The prerequisite(s) for this Teaching Unit (Unité d’enseignement – UE) for the programmes/courses that offer this Teaching Unit are specified at the end of this sheet.
Main themes
Sub-sections : - A. General aspects : physico-chemical aspects of biochemical processes (including enzyme kinetics and classification, bioenergetics); - B. Molecular Biology (in Eukarya) : from genes to active proteins (structure and regulation); interest of molecular biology in diagnosis and drug development. - C. Metabolism : description, regulation, and tissue specificity of key anabolic and catabolic pathways. - D. Integrated view of metabolic pathways in the whole organism; modulation in several (patho)physiological situations.
Content
A. Principles of chemistry applicable to biological processes. Concepts of molecular interactions, enzyme kinetics, and bioenergetics in the context of drug discovery (drug metabolism, signal transduction, synthetic peptides, development of enzyme inhibitors). B. Structure and functions of genes and nucleic acids; genome replication; principles/regulation of gene expression and protein synthesis in eucaryotes and procaryotes. C Description and regulation of carbohydrates, lipids, amino-acids , and nucleotides metabolism at the molecular, cellular and tissue level ; control of energy homeostasis; hormonal regulation and cell signaling; metabolic fluxes. D. Metabolic adaptation to physiological situations (such as nutritional status, stress …); illustration of inter-organs cooperation (liver, adipose tissue, muscle, brain…).
Practical courses and exercise sessions allow:
- to master the content of the courses without need for extensive memorisation
- to become acquainted with the principles of biochemistry through the analysis of data in the scientific literature
- to practically address the principles of biochemistry through experimental approaches (enzymes kinetics)
Teaching methods
Lectures, on site. Exercice sessions will be organized online, practical courses will be given on site.
Evaluation methods
Students will be evaluated on their ability to synthesize and integrate several biochemical data into a coherent entity. They must be able to describe, use and explain in accurate biochemical terms the topics addressed.
The written examination, on site, will consist of open-ended questions.
The final mark of the exam results from the global evaluation of the exam, not from the mathematical sum of points collected at individual questions.
Other information
Prerequisits: knowledge in general biology and cell biology, organic and general chemistry.
Teaching by 3 professors and one assistant.
Participation to the practical laboratory courses is obligatory. Unjustified absence will be sanctioned and may lead to mark of 0/20 at the final exam. In case of repeated unjustified absence, teachers may ask the jury to refuse registration to the exam according to article 72 of the RGEE
Online resources
The slides presented during the lectures, as well as the information and documents related to practical courses and exercise sessions are available on MoodleUCL (https://moodleucl.uclouvain.be/).
Bibliography
Support de cours obligatoire : diapositives des cours disponibles sur Moodle, en version pdf
Faculty or entity
FASB


Programmes / formations proposant cette unité d'enseignement (UE)

Title of the programme
Sigle
Credits
Prerequisites
Learning outcomes
Bachelor in Biomedicine
6
WMD1120 AND WMD1105 AND WMD1106