A student seminar course is offered each semester and continuous registration is required of all graduate students in biochemistry. Seminars are presented by Ph.D. students and include topics in the areas of proteins, enzymes, nucleic acids, lipids, metabolic regulation, hormone action, biochemical genetics, physical biochemistry, membrane biochemistry, developmental biochemistry, and neurochemistry. Emphasis is placed on experimental approaches used to study this class of macromolecules. Discussions will be student-led. This course provides an in-depth survey of enzymatic mechanisms focusing on enzymes of biological significance and including phosphatases, proteases, hydrolases, and transferases among others.
Emphasis is placed on structure-function correlates.
Lectures are complemented by student presentations based on review of current literature. Biological and biochemical aspects of sex steroid hormones will be presented, including steroidogenesis, target tissue effects and roles in cancer. Mechanisms via receptors and genomic regulatory elements will be discussed by student-selected presentations. Meetings to be arranged. One purpose is to provide familiarity with a variety of contemporary approaches through discussions of their applications.