Structural, physical and chemical properties of amino acids - a Year 1 undergraduate self-paced workbook
Creators: name: Dodson, Charlotte
Publisher: name: National Teaching Repository
Year: 2024
Subjects: classificationCode: 340599
subject: Organic chemistry not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 429999
subject: Other health sciences not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 340403
subject: Characterisation of biological macromolecules
classificationCode: 340407
subject: Proteins and peptides
classificationCode: 310112
subject: Structural biology (incl. macromolecular modelling)

description: Please note that following closure of NTR to new submissions at the end of June 2025, updates to this resource will be released on Zenodo. The full collection of Charlotte Dodson's teaching materials has moved to https://zenodo.org/communities/charlottedodsonteaching/.This self-paced workbook covers the basic structural, physical and chemical properties of amino acids. Content includes:General amino acid chemical structure and carbon namingStereochemistry of amino acidsProtonation state of amino acidsProperties of the sidechains of amino acidsProtonation state of amino acid sidechainsHydrogen bonding of amino acid sidechainspi-stacking of aromatic sidechainsAmino acid sidechains and protein solubilityAmino acid sidechains as chemical reactantsModifications of amino acids (phosphorylation, acetylation, methylation, hydroxylation)Reference tables of the chemical structures of the twenty proteogenic amino acids and the first few letters of the Greek alphabet are provided.Throughout this workbook I have included a number of tasks for students to complete (highlighted in blue). These are of varying difficulty, but hopefully none of them is too onerous. The point of these tasks is to encourage to the student to engage in <i>active learning</i> and to think about the material as they work their way through the workbook. The intention is that active learning makes the students learn the material more deeply (better) and – in due course – makes revision much easier.This workbook is suitable for Year 1 undergraduate students in biochemistry, biomedical sciences, pharmacy, pharmacology and related subjects and I use it in place of a formal didactic lecture for both pharmacy and pharmacology students. I deliver the material by making hard copies of the workbook available in the timetabled lecture slot and electronic copies available on the VLE. The material contained is examinable although attendance at the timetabled session is optional (approximately 50% of attending students choose to collect a workbook and complete this elsewhere). For those students who do stay, I am present and actively available throughout the 1 h timetabled session to check answers and for wider discussion. Answers to the workbook questions are posted at the end of the week.Version history<b>v1</b>: Original deposition. Material as taught in Bath MPharmacy degree Oct 2020- Oct 2023.<b>v2</b>: Change in material to reflect changes in wider course content in Bath MPharmacy degree. Material on differences between alpha, beta and gamma amino acids removed. Replaced with material on amino acid sidechains and protein solubility and modifications of amino acids in proteins. Illustration of pi-pi stacking replaced with clearer image. Oct 2023-Have you used this material in your teaching? If so, do get in touch and let me know how it went!