Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics

LESLIE V. PARISE, Chair

Professors

Sharon Campbell (18) NMR Spectroscopy, Structure and Regulation of Proteins Involved in Ras-Mediated Cell Signaling

Michael Caplow (16) Chemistry of the Microtubule Cytoskeleton

Charles W. Carter Jr. (19) Structural Molecular Biology, Protein Structure-Function, X-ray Crystallography of Proteins Including Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetases, Deaminases, Phasing Methods and Crystal Growth

Stephen G. Chaney (25) Chemistry and Action Mechanism of Platinum Anticancer Agents, DNA Repair, Effects of DNA-Damaging Agents on DNA Replication

David Clemmons (15) Receptor Signaling

Stephen Crews (24) Molecular Genetics of Nervous System Development, Transcriptional Control, Evolution of Regulatory Mechanisms

Marshall Edgell (143) Use of Biophysical and Genetic Techniques Using Combinatorial Libraries and High Throughput Robotics to Assess Determinants of Protein Structure

Beverly Errede (144) Function and Regulation of MAP-Kinase Activation Pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Jack Griffith (41) Architecture of DNA-Protein Complexes Involved in Replication, Repair, and Telomere Maintenance, Electron Microscopy

Hengming Ke (50) X-ray Crystallography, Structure and Function of Biologically Important Proteins such as Phosphodiesterase and Molecular Chaperone System

Barry R. Lentz (62) Biomembrane Structure and its Relationship to Function, Platelet Membranes in Blood Coagulation, Membrane Fusion, Liposomes

Patricia F. Maness (68) Mechanisms of Cell Signaling and Adhesion, Axon Guidance and Synaptic Plasticity

William F. Marzluff (69) Control of Gene Activity, Cell-Cycle Regulation in Early Embryos, Control of Expression of Histone mRNA

Gerhard W. Meissner (79) Intracellular Ca2+ Signaling and Regulation of Ion Channels in Striated Muscle

Gary Pielak (99) Protein Structure/Function Using 2-D NMR

Aziz Sancar (105) DNA Repair and Cancer, Structure and Function of DNA Repair Enzymes, Molecular Neurobiology, Reaction Mechanism of Human Blue-Light Photoreceptor

Gwendolyn B. Sancar (104) Cellular Responses to Genotoxic Stress, DNA Repair, Transcriptional Regulation of Stress Response Genes

John Sheehan (111) Understanding the Role of Glycoconjugates in Biology

Ronald I. Swanstrom (123) Molecular Biology of HIV, Resistance to HIV Protease Inhibitors

Michael D. Topal (126) Protein-DNA Recognition, Genomic Instability

Thomas W. Traut (128) Enzyme Structure and Regulation, Allosteric Dissociating Enzymes

Terry Van Dyke (132) Molecular Regulation of Cell Growth Control, Cell Specificity of Tumor Suppression Function, Gene Regulation

Elizabeth M. Wilson (134) Mechanisms of Steroid Hormone Action, Androgen Regulation of Gene Transcription

Richard V. Wolfenden (139) Enzyme Mechanisms, Water Affinities of Biological Compounds

Yue Xiong (140) Molecular Mechanisms of Cell Cycle Control, Tumor Suppression and Development

Associate Professors

Ed Collins (23) Use of Biophysical Tools to Study Immunological Problems Focusing on Immune Recognition of Cancer

Henrik Dohlman (17) Regulators of G Protein Signaling, Mechanisms of Drug Desensitization

Ann Erickson (33) Cellular Protein Targeting, Lysosomal Enzyme Biosynthesis, Secretion of Lysosomal Proteases by Transformed Cells

Howard M. Fried (39) Cell and Molecular Biology, Mechanisms of Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Transport, Mechanisms of RNA-Protein Recognition

Dale Ramsden (108) Mechanism of V(D)J Recombination, End-Joining Pathway for Repair of DNA Double Strand Breaks

John Sondek (117) Protein Crystallography and Signal Transduction

Yi Zhang (138) Chromatin Dynamics, Gene Expression, Cellular Proliferation

Assistant Professors

Xian Chen (12) Protein-Protein and Protein-Ligand Interaction, Protein Tertiary Structure, Quaternary Structure of Multi-Protein Complexes, Structure-Function Relationship of Proteins, Functional Proteomics

Jean Cook (150) Regulation of DNA Replication in Mammalian Cells

Lyndon Cooper (21) Osteoblast Responses to Physiological Stress: Characterization of the Heat Shock Response and Mechanochemical Deformation and Stimulation

Nikolay Dokholyan (47) Computational Structural Biology

Brian Kuhlman (72) Computational Protein Design, Protein-Protein Interactions, Structural Biology

Andrew Lee (71) Protein, Structure and Dynamics, NMR Spectroscopy

Matthew Redinbo (110) Structural Biology of Proteins and Protein-Nucleic Acid Complexes

Brian Strahl (120) Mechanisms of Chromatin-Mediated Gene Transcription

Research Professors

David G. Kaufman (53) Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Cancer Development, Epithelial Cell-Stromal Cell Interactions, Cell-Cycle Influences on Carcinogenesis

Arrel D. Toews (125) Neurochemistry, Neurotoxicology: Metabolism and Gene Expression during Demyelination and Remyelination, Molecular Biology of Cholesterol Metabolism and Trafficking

Professors Emeriti

Michael K. Berkut

Edward B. Glassman

Dr. Jan Hermans

David J. Holbrook Jr.

William Henry Pearlman

Ralph Penniall

Howard A. Schneider

George K. Summer

Robert H. Wagner

James R. White

John E. Wilson

The Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics is an administrative division of the School of Medicine and a member of The Graduate School. The graduate program offers instruction and research opportunities leading to the Ph.D. degree. Although the department offers the M.S. degree, the graduate program is not designed as a terminal master's curriculum. Applicants are offered admission with the expectation that they will complete their doctorate.

Modern research in biochemistry and biophysics is designed to address mechanism and function; it utilizes the paradigms of molecular biology, but is influenced by chemistry, physics and genetics. The philosophy of the department and its graduate program is to provide students with broad training in modern approaches to the field and unique opportunities for multidisciplinary training.

Curriculum

Students admitted to the graduate program take any two of the following six courses: BIOC 601, 631, 632, 643, 644, 655 or any three of the physical biochemistry modules (BIOC 650–653, 660–678). In addition, all students take a special seminar course (BIOC 701) and select a minimum of three laboratory rotations (BIOC 702). These four core courses can be completed during the first year when a student has all prerequisites. A scientific writing course, BIOC 712, is required during the second year. This course is designed to prepare students for the Comprehensive Examination, which is in the format of an NIH grant proposal. Students are also required to take a minimum of 12 semester hours of electives, including at least three three-hour lecture courses. The remainder of the electives can be either seminar or lecture courses. The electives may be courses offered either by the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics or by other departments. Further information on course requirements may be found in the Guidelines for Students in the Graduate Program in Biochemistry and Biophysics at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Students in the combined M.D./Ph.D. program are required to complete two of the following courses (six credit hours): BIOC 601, 631, 632, 643, 644, 655 or any three of the physical biochemistry modules (BIOC 650–653, 660–678), as well as BIOC 701 (three credit hours), two rotations in BIOC 702 (four credit hours) and BIOC 712 (two credit hours). School of Medicine courses can serve in lieu of electives.

A faculty committee advises entering students about course selection until the student chooses a research sponsor. Students select research sponsors from the department's primary and joint faculty members following the three laboratory rotations. After a research sponsor has been selected, a dissertation committee is formed to review the student's yearly progress. The examinations required for admission to candidacy for the Ph.D. are administered as a comprehensive exam and a written research proposal. The comprehensive exam will cover major topics in the areas of biochemistry/biophysics and cell/molecular biology. The written research proposal will be on the student's chosen research project and will be defended in an oral examination. The most important requirement for the Ph.D. degree is a dissertation of original research carried out independently by the candidate. The Ph.D. candidate is required to conduct a final oral defense of a dissertation.

Financial Aid and Admissions

Funds available from the University, the department and individual research grants provide stipends for students. All applicants are considered for special fellowships and teaching or research assistantships. In 2007 students received a stipend of $24,000 plus in-state tuition and fees. Major medical insurance was also provided. Nonresidents with predoctoral fellowships or assistantships are recommended for special tuition rates. Applications are considered from prospective graduate students who present evidence of superior scholarship in biology, chemistry or biochemistry. The department recommends that students prepare themselves by taking general and organic chemistry, biochemistry, biology, physics and calculus. It is anticipated that students who have not had these courses will take them, as appropriate, after their arrival. Departmental information may be obtained through the department's Web site: www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/2depts/biochem. Applicants should apply online at gradschool.unc.edu.

Research Interests

The faculty research interests are diverse and include research in the following areas: cell signaling and growth control, DNA repair and replication, membrane biophysics and function, molecular regulation including transcriptional control, nervous system development and function, and protein structure/function, including enzymology. Model systems used by the faculty range from bacteria to mammals; techniques span molecular biology to physical biochemistry. A brochure describing the department and more detailed faculty research interests can be obtained by writing to the director of graduate studies of the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, or by visiting the department's Web site: www.med.unc.edu/wrkunits/2depts/biochem.

Facilities

The departmental research facilities are centered in the Mary Ellen Jones Building, which is within walking distance of the Cancer Research Center and the departments of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. The building is equipped with instruments for molecular biological, biochemical, structural and biophysical research. Animal-care facilities are available to support the department's research endeavors. The computer facilities are networked within the department, to the Research Triangle area, and to national and international databases. Color graphics workstations (including an Evans & Sutherland PS350) and high-speed minisupercomputers are available within the department.

Courses for Graduates and Advanced Undergraduates

402 [102] UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH IN BIOCHEMISTRY (1–21). Prerequisites, an overall 3.0 GPA and permission of the course director. For juniors and seniors who wish to carry out an independent, mutually arranged research project in the laboratory of a biochemistry faculty sponsor. Restricted to on-campus work. Minimum three hours per week for each unit of credit per semester. May be repeated. May not substitute for honors, advanced elective or other course requirements of another department. A written report is required in each term. Fall and spring. Fried, staff.

442 [142] BIOCHEMICAL TOXICOLOGY (ENVR 442, TOXC 442) (3). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 and one course in biochemistry; permission of the instructor if prerequisites not met. Biochemical actions of toxicants and assessment of cellular damage by biochemical measurements. Three lecture hours per week. Spring. Harper (course director).

505 [105] MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (GNET 505) (3). Prerequisites, undergraduate biochemistry or genetics, and organic chemistry. Techniques in molecular biology; mechanisms of DNA replication, transcription and translation of genetic material in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems; genomics, gene organization; regulatory and signaling mechanisms; and molecular biology of cancer. Fall. Crews, Fried, Van Dyke, Xiong.

601 [104] ENZYME PROPERTIES, MECHANISMS AND REGULATION (3). Prerequisite, CHEM 430 or equivalent. Focuses on enzyme architecture to illustrate how the shapes of enzymes are designed to optimize the catalytic step and become allosterically modified to regulate the rate of catalysis. Fall. Traut, Wolfenden.

631 [110] ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY I (BIOL 631, GNET 631, MCRO 631, PHCO 631) (3). Prerequisites for undergraduates, at least one undergraduate course in both biochemistry and genetics. DNA structure, function and interactions in prokaryotic and eukaryotic systems, including chromosome structure, replication, recombination, repair and genome fluidity. Three lecture hours a week. Fall. Griffith, Matson, A. Sancar.

632 [111] ADVANCED MOLECULAR BIOLOGY II (BIOL 632, GNET 632, MCRO 632, PHCO 632) (3). Prerequisites for undergraduates, at least one undergraduate course in both biochemistry and genetics. The purpose of this course is to provide historical, basic and current information about the flow and regulation of genetic information from DNA to RNA in a variety of biological systems. Three lecture hours a week. Spring. Baldwin, Marzluff, Strahl.

643 [117] CELL STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND GROWTH CONTROL I (CBIO 643, MCRO 643, PHCO 643) (1–21). Prerequisite, undergraduate cell biology or biochemistry or permission of the instructor. Comprehensive introduction to cell structure, function and transformation. Fall. Meissner, staff.

644 [118] CELL STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND GROWTH CONTROL II (CBIO 644, MCRO 644, PHCO 644) (1–21). Prerequisite, undergraduate cell biology or biochemistry or permission of instructor. Comprehensive introduction to cell structure, function and transformation. Spring. Cox, staff.

650 BASIC PRINCIPLES: FROM BASIC MODELS TO COLLECTIONS OF MACROMOLECULES (1). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 and two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Basic molecular models and their use in developing statistical descriptions of macromolecular function. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Fall. Lentz.

650R MACROMOLECULES PRINCIPLES RECITATION (1). Corequisite, BIOC 650. Recitation and discussion session for participants of BIOC 650.

651 MACROMOLECULAR EQUILIBRIA: CONFORMATION CHANGE AND BINDING (1). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 and two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Macromolecules as viewed with modern computational methods. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Fall. Sondek (course director), Temple, Lentz.

652 [146] MACROMOLECULAR EQUILIBRIA (1). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 and two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Stability of macromolecules and their complexes with other molecules. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Fall. Hermans.

653 [147] MACROMOLECULAR SPECTROSCOPY (1). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 and two semesters of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. Principles of UV, IR, Raman, fluorescence and spin resonance spectroscopies; applications to the study of macromolecules and membranes. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Lentz.

655 [134] CASE STUDIES IN STRUCTURAL MOLECULAR BIOLOGY (3). Prerequisite, CHEM 430 or equivalent. Principles of macromolecular structure and function with emphasis on proteins, molecular assemblies, enzyme mechanisms and ATP enzymology. Spring. Carter.

660 [150A] INTRODUCTION TO LIGHT MICROSCOPY (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the course director. Fundamentals of optics and light microscope design for the novice student. Spring (even-numbered years). Salmon (course director).

661 [150B] ADVANCED TOPICS IN IMAGING (2). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the course director. Optical imaging including fluorescence and confocal techniques. Scanning and transmission electron microscopy and image interpretation. Mechanical imaging and scanning probe microscopy. Spring (even-numbered years). Costello (course director), Erie, Jacobson, Salmon, Superfine.

662 [151] MACROMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the instructor. Theory and practice of biophysical methods used in the study of interactions between macromolecules and their ligands, including surface plasmon resonance, analytical ultracentrifugation and calorimetry. Spring. Pielak (course director), Tripathy.

663A [152] MACROMOLECULAR NMR (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the instructor. Principles and practice of nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy: applications to biological macromolecule structure and dynamics in solution. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Campbell (course director), Pielak, Young.

663B [152L] MACROMOLECULAR NMR PRACTICE (1). Prerequisite, BIOC 653 or permission of the course director. Lab section for BIOC 663A. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Campbell (course director), Pielak, Young.

666 [153] X RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY OF MACROMOLECULES (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the instructor. Principles of protein crystallography, characterization of crystals, theory of diffraction, phasing of macromolecular crystals and structure refinement. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Ke.

667 [157] MACROMOLECULAR CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC METHODS (2). Prerequisite, BIOC 666 or permission of the course director. A combined lecture/laboratory workshop for serious students of protein crystallography. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring (odd-numbered years). Collins (course director), Redinbo, Carter, Sondek.

668 [154] PRINCIPLES OF AND SIMULATION OF MACROMOLECULAR DYNAMICS (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650-653 or permission of the instructor. A combined lecture/computer lab treatment of the principles of macromolecular dynamics and structure as approached using the tools of molecular dynamics simulations. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring (odd-numbered years). Hermans (course director), Tropsha.

670 [156] BIOMOLECULAR INFORMATICS (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the instructor. A combined lecture/computer lab course introducing the methods and principles of biological data management as this relates to macromolecular sequence analysis. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Vaisman.

673 [158] PROTEOMICS, PROTEIN IDENTIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION BY MASS SPECTROMETRY (1). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or one semester of physical chemistry or permission of the instructor. A lecture module that introduces students to the basics of mass spectrometry as applied to protein science. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Spring. Borchers (course director).

678 [155] ELECTRICAL SIGNALS FROM MACROMOLECULAR ASSEMBLAGES (2). Prerequisites, BIOC 650–653 or permission of the instructor. An intensive, six-hour per week introduction to the fundamentals of ion channel biophysics, including laboratory sessions to demonstrate principles and methods. Course intended primarily for graduate students. Fall. Oxford (course director), Cheney, Rosenberg, Pallotta, Stuart.

Courses for Graduates

700 CURRENT TOPICS IN RNA STRUCTURE, FUNCTION, AND TECHNOLOGY (2). Critical reading and discussion of current literature related to the study of RNA structure, RNA-protein interactions, novel RNA functions, RNA as a therapeutic target/agent and RNA methods.

701 [205] ANALYSIS IN BIOCHEMISTRY (3). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 or equivalent and permission of the coordinator. Seminar and critical study of modern research topics in biochemistry under the supervision of individual biochemistry faculty. Spring. Caplow and Fried, staff.

702 [207] ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY (2 or 4). Prerequisite, CHEM 430 or equivalent. Permission of the department required except for departmental majors. Designed to introduce the student to research methods. Minor investigative problems are conducted with advice and guidance of the staff. May be repeated two or more semesters for credit. Hours and credit to be arranged. Fall. Staff.

703 [207] ADVANCED BIOCHEMISTRY LABORATORY (2 or 4). Prerequisite, CHEM 430 or equivalent. Permission of the department required except for departmental majors. Designed to introduce the student to research methods. Minor investigative problems are conducted with advice and guidance of the staff. May be repeated two or more semesters for credit. Hours and credit to be arranged. Spring. Staff.

704 [260] SEMINARS IN BIOPHYSICS (2). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Students present seminars coordinated with the visiting lecturer series of the Program in Molecular and Cellular Biophysics. Fall and spring. Lentz, staff.

705 [208] ADVANCED BIOPHYSICS LABORATORY (2 or 4). Permission of the program required. Designed to introduce students in the Molecular and Cellular Biophysics Program to research methods. Minor investigative projects are conducted with advice and guidance of the staff. May be repeated two or more semesters for credit. Hours and credit to be arranged. Fall and spring. Staff.

711 [211] RESEARCH CONCEPTS IN BIOCHEMISTRY (2). Prerequisite, master's candidate in biochemistry and biophysics. A series of lectures and exercises on formulating a research plan to attack a specific scientific problem, and on presenting the research plan in the form of a grant proposal. Fall. G. Sancar (course director), staff.

712 [212] SCIENTIFIC WRITING (3). Prerequisite, doctoral candidate in biochemistry and biophysics. A course of lectures and workshops on the principles of clear scientific exposition with emphasis on the design and preparation of research grants. Fall. G. Sancar (course director), staff.

715 SCIENTIFIC PRESENTATION (1). Senior graduate students present original research results as a formal seminar. Feedback on presentation effectiveness and style will be provided by faculty instructors and classmates. Fall. Cook (codirector), Strahl (codirector), Kuhlman and Dokholyan.

721 [221] CELL REGULATION BY UBIQUITINATION (PHCO 721B) (2). Prerequisite, two semesters of biochemistry. Lecture and literature-based discussion course on ubiquitin-mediated regulation of hormone receptor signaling, trafficking and degradation. Spring (even-numbered years). Dohlman.

722A [222A] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: INTRODUCTION (NBIO 722A, PHCO 722A, PHYI 722A) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Introductory section covers basic neurobiology, including neuronal cell biology, action potentials, synaptic potentials, molecular biology and neuroanatomy. Course meets for four weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Stuart.

722B [222B] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: POSTSYNAPTIC MECHANISMS-RECEPTORS (NBIO 722B, PHCO 722B, PHYI 722B) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Consideration of membrane receptor molecules activated by neurotransmitters in the nervous system with emphasis on ligand binding behavior and molecular and functional properties of different classes of receptors. Course meets for four weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Neurobiology faculty.

722C [222C] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: ELECTRICAL SIGNALING (NBIO 722C, PHCO 722C, PHYI 722C) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. The genesis of electrical impulses in the nervous system is considered with an emphasis on membrane potentials, voltage-gated ion channels and structural features of neurons that influence coding. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Fall. Stuart.

723A [223A] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: POSTSYNAPTIC MECHANISMS-INTRACELLULAR SIGNALING (NBIO 723A, PHCO 723A, PHYI 723A) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Explores biochemical signal transduction events following activation of neurotransmitter receptors including G-protein coupling, desensitization, signaling specificity, downstream effectors, calcium signaling and tryosine kinases. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Spring. Neurobiology faculty.

723B [223B] CELLULAR AND MOLECULAR NEUROBIOLOGY: PRESYNAPTIC MECHANISMS AND SYNAPTIC PLASTICITY (NBIO 723B, PHCO 723B, PHYI 723B) (2). Prerequisite, permission of the course director. Explores the mechanisms regulating the release of neurotransmitters from nerve terminals, including quantal release, vesicle and terminal membrane proteins, neurotransmitter transporters and plasticity of synaptic transmission. Course meets for five weeks with six lecture hours per week. Spring. Stuart and faculty.

The following seminar courses are designed for students majoring or minoring in biochemistry who wish to further their knowledge in particular areas. Unless otherwise stated, two semesters of biochemistry are prerequisites for seminar courses. Most of these courses are given in alternate years by interested staff members. Unless otherwise stated, these seminars may not be repeated for credit. Seminar courses provide teaching experience, which is required for a graduate degree in biochemistry and biophysics. In addition, the courses provide experience in giving a critical review of the current literature.

802 [244] SEMINAR IN THE PHASE PROBLEM IN X-RAY CRYSTALLOGRAPHY (2). Prerequisite, permission of the instructor. Image formation is treated from a quite general point of view, drawing from Fourier transform methods used in X-ray crystallography. Isomorphous replacement, multiple wavelength anomalous scattering and Bayesian direct methods are covered. One two-hour seminar a week. Spring (odd-numbered years.) Carter.

803 [245] SEMINAR ON CELL SIGNALING (2). Prerequisite, two semesters of biochemistry. Signal transduction in embryonic development. Spring (odd-numbered years). Maness.

804 [251] SEMINAR IN DNA-PROTEIN INTERACTIONS (2). Prerequisites, two semesters of biochemistry. Review of current literature on structural, thermodynamic and kinetic aspects of binding to DNA of proteins involved in replication, regulation, recombination and repair. Spring (odd-numbered years). A. Sancar.

805 [273] MOLECULAR MODELING (MEDC 805) (3). Prerequisites: MATH 231 and 232, CHEM 481. Introduction to computer-assisted molecular design, techniques and theory with an emphasis on the practical use of molecular mechanics and quantum mechanics programs. Fall. Tropsha (coordinator).

806 [276] MACROMOLECULAR MODELING (MEDC 806) (3). Prerequisites, CHEM 430 or equivalent and permission of instructor. Applications of computational techniques to the study of macromolecular systems (protein and nucleic acid structure, molecular dynamics, free energy simulations, ligand docking). Practical use of macromolecular modeling programs in the laboratory. Two to three lecture hours and three laboratory hours per week. Spring. Tropsha (coordinator), staff.

807 [254] SEMINAR IN CELLULAR RESPONSES TO DNA DAMAGE (2). Prerequisites, graduate-level courses (one each) in molecular biology and biochemistry. A seminar course on the enzymology of DNA repair and damage tolerance and the regulation of genes involved in these processes. Both classic and recent literature are discussed. Spring. G. Sancar.

901, 902 [301, 302] RESEARCH IN BIOCHEMISTRY (3 or more). Prerequisite, permission of the department. Six or more hours a week throughout both semesters. (On demand.) Staff.

993 [393] MASTER'S THESIS (Var.). Staff.

994 [394] DOCTORAL DISSERTATION (Var.). Staff.