66690 - Enzyme Sructure Catalysis

Learning outcomes

At the end of the Course, the student will get acquainted with structural biochemistry and enzyme kinetics. In particular, the student will learn how to inspect protein structure, the principles of protein engineering, and the mechanisms of enzyme catalysis. Finally, the student will also get acquainted with the use of enzymes in industrial processes.

Course contents

Amino acids and proteins. Primary structure of proteins. Elements of secondary structure (alfa helix, beta strand, left-handed beta helix) and their interactions. Tertiary Structure. Structural motifs. General and enzyme kinetics. Enzyme catalysis and mechanisms of enzyme-catalyzed reactions. Enzymes in non-conventional media. Biosensors. Protein and enzyme engineering. Industrial enzymology.

Readings/Bibliography

1) Brandon, Tooze: Introduction to Protein Structure, Garland Publishing, New York. 2) Fersht: Enzyme Structure and Mechanism, Freeman, San Francisco.

Teaching methods

PowerPoint presentations.

Assessment methods

Written Test. The evaluation is composed of: i) 24 questions, the correct answer to which has to be identified among a group of 3, and yielding a maximum of 24 points; ii) the written analysis and discussion of 2 of the main topics discussed during the Lectures, yielding a maximum of 6 points.

To successfully face both groups of questions, the Student has to critically analyze the different subjects of the Course, whose inter-relations are stressed in the Test.

The Test has has to be accomplished in 90 minutes.

 

Office hours

See the website of Alejandro Hochkoeppler