Undergraduate Biochemistry

The Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine aims to provide undergraduate students with a solid foundational knowledge in biochemistry firmly rooted in research. Under the overall directorship of Dr. Dimri, the department is responsible for teaching several undergraduate biochemistry courses, both didactic and laboratory-based, providing students with a well-rounded education that allows for a better appreciation of the recent advances in biochemical research.

Undergraduate Biochemistry Courses

BIOC 3261 (X-listed-BISC3261) - Introductory Medical Biochemistry

Course Credits: 4
Course Offering: Fall
Course Director(s): Manjari Dimri, Rong Li
Course Prerequisites: CHEM 2151 and CHEM 2152

Course Description: To gain an appreciation of our biochemical world, the first half of the course establishes the fundamentals covering the structures, properties, and biochemistry of macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids proteins, and nucleic acids). Proteins and enzymes are discussed in kinetics, catalysis, and regulation. The second half further integrates the content learned thus far and focuses on the cellular bioenergetics and energy metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, and amino acids to show the relevant applications in healthy vs disease states.

*This course is mandatory to fulfill the requirement for the Secondary Field of Study.

BIOC 3262 (X-listed-BISC3262) - Biochemistry Laboratory

Course Credits: 2
Course Offering: Spring
Course Director(s): Ray Chang Wu, Jorge Azpurua
There is a Laboratory fee associated with this course  
Course Prerequisites: BIOC 3261/BISC 3261/CHEM 4161 or equivalent

Course Description: This laboratory course introduces students to basic laboratory skills like micro pipetting, preparing buffers, and calculations, and is designed to teach students ‘hands-on’ techniques commonly used in protein-related research such as electrophoretic analytical procedures (such as protein quantitation, SDS-PAGE, Western Blotting) as well as spectroscopic approaches to analyzing enzyme properties using a model protein such as the enzyme beta-galactosidase.  

BIOC 3820 - Bioinformatics and Computational Biochemistry

Course Credits: 2
Course Offering: Fall
Course Director(s): Raja Mazumder, Jonathon Keeney
Course Prerequisites: Programming experience NOT required

Course Description: This course introduces students to bioinformatics and biostatistics within the context of biochemistry through lectures and demonstrations. The course emphasizes how today's biomedical researchers are integrating information from diverse but complementary molecular biology resources not just to analyze data but also to test hypotheses. Students gain hands-on learning as they use the molecular biology databases/tools. Application of bioinformatics concepts and methods evolution, data flow, functional analysis, and communication (e.g. using Bio Compute Objects) strengthen the students’ understanding of learned concepts.

BIOC 3821 -  Projects in Biomedical Informatics 

Course Credits: 1-2 (variable)
Course Offering: Fall and Spring
Course Director(s): Raja Mazumder
Course Prerequisites: Contact the course director

Course Description: This undergraduate biomedical informatics project-based research course provides students with hands-on experience and working knowledge of the scientific process, use of instrumentation, data collection, and analysis. Students work closely with other team members and learn to apply bioinformatics principles and troubleshooting techniques.

BIOC 4195 - Undergraduate Research 

Course Credits: 1-4 (variable, may be repeated for credit)
Course Offering: Fall, Spring, Summer
Course Director(s): Manjari Dimri
Course Prerequisites: BIOC 3261 or BIOC 3262 or CHEM 4161 or equivalent.
Prerequisites may be waived instead of prior laboratory research experiences as per the discretion of the PI/mentor ). Students must arrange to do research under a mentor/Principal investigator in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine. Permission of the instructor is required before enrollment.

Course Description: The undergraduate research course provides students with hands-on laboratory experience and a working knowledge of the scientific process, including hypothesis development, experimental design, use of instrumentation, data collection, and reporting. Students conduct hands-on research, attend weekly laboratory meetings, record all data, and maintain a laboratory notebook. departmental seminars and other informal sessions presented by faculty from the Department of Bioinformatics and Molecular Medicine. At the end of the course, students will write a formal final report of their study, and develop a presentation summarizing their work.