Exploration of a topic (to be determined) not covered by the standard curriculum but of interest to faculty and students in a particular semester.

Critical evaluation of recent journal articles that focus on molecular pharmacology and/or structural biology. Students make at least one presentation per semester and participate in weekly discussion. Additional work required of graduate students.

Experimental methods for biologically synthesizing and chemically purifying macromolecules in order to analyze their structure and function, including: polymerase chain reaction; site-directed mutagenesis; Protein expression and purification; nucleic acid and protein electrophoresis. Additional work required of graduate students.

Survey of Biochemistry with emphasis on the unifying concepts of Chemistry and Biology, requiring a graduate-level background in science.

Experience in biomolecular modeling of proteins, nucleic acids, and drug candidates as practiced in biochemical research and technology. Connections with structural and physical principles will be emphasized. Additional work required of graduate students.