PLANT BIOCHEMISTRY AND MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY (HPBM)
| Module Code | Module Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
| HBTBC 101 | Cell Biology and Microbiology | Introduces students to the structural differences between prokaryotes and eukaryotes. Students will also be introduced to the fundamental aspects of microbial genetics,growth and pathogenesis. |
| HBTBC 110 | Practical and Data Handling Techniques in Biochemistry 1 | Introduces students to Good Laboratory Practice, Approaches to biochemical investigations, Making buffer solutions, potentiometric and polarographic techniques, pH and O2 measurements, centrifugation techniques, Spectroscopic techniques –UV/Vis, Chromatographic Techniques- Paper, TLC and Column. |
| HBTBC 104 | Chemistry of Carbohydrates and Lipids |
This course introduces the chemistry of carbohydrates and lipids. Biological relevance of carbohydrates, classification. Structure of monosaccharides, configuration and conformation as well as reactions of monosaccharides. |
| HBTCH 110 | Introduction to Inorganic Chemistry | Introduces students to inorganic chemistry, the branch of chemistry that is concerned with the properties and behaviour of inorganic compounds, which include metals, minerals, and organometallic compounds |
| HBTBC 105 | Chemistry of Amino acids and Proteins |
Introduces students to properties and classification of amino acids, Titration of amino acids, Formation of peptide bonds, general properties of peptides and proteins, Ionic properties of proteins, Hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions, Protein primary structure, Secondary structure, super-secondary structures, Tertiary structure, forces that stabilise protein structure, Quaternary structure, Structure of haemoglobin and myoglobin, Effect of denaturation on protein structure and function, Protein extraction, Crystallization of proteins, Methods of Protein Determination, Glycoprotein structure and function, Proteoglycan structure and function |
| HBTCH 103 | Organic Chemistry 1 | Introduces students to the study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation of carbon-containing compounds. Most organic compounds contain carbon and hydrogen, but they may also include any number of other elements such as nitrogen, oxygen, halogens, phosphorus, silicon and sulfur. |
| HBTBC 111 | Molecular Biology 1 | Introduces students to the basic components of nucleic acids, the structural features of the DNA double helix, DNA denaturation, hybridization, A, B and Z forms of DNA. How mutations occur from DNA damage; how damaged DNA is repaired; and to learn about the basis of chemical mutagenesis. Eukaryotic DNA, Eukaryotic chromatin, Eukaryotic genomes including transposons and repeated and unique sequences. Prokaryotic DNA, plasmid and viral genomes. Replication of Prokaryotic DNA & Eukaryotic DNA including synthesis of DNA from organisms with RNA genomes in a process known as Reverse transcription. Also covers protein structure and function including Translation as a component of the central dogma of molecular biology, Initiation of protein chain synthesis, elongation and termination, Posttranslational polypeptide modification, Protein synthesis inhibition, Porphyrin biosynthesis and catabolism, Haemoglobin and myoglobin formation and functions, Methods for determining protein structure, and the cytoskeleton. |
| HBTBC 108 | Enzymes and Bioenergetics | Introduces students to chemical catalysis and activation energy, Characteristics of enzyme-catalysed reactions, Endergonic and exergonic reactions, High energy compounds, Order of a reaction, Order and molecularity, Determination of the order of a reaction, Dimensions of rate constants, Reversible reactions, Determination of first-order rate constants, Enzyme classification and nomenclature; Vitamins: cofactors and coenzymes Enzyme kinetics –K m ,V max , K cat , K cat /K m , Graphical representations of enzyme activity: Michaelis-Menten, Lineweaver-Burk and Eadie-Hofstee plots, Regulation of Enzyme activity |
| HBTBC 201 | Practical and Data Handling Techniques in Biochemistry 2 | Introduces students to immunochemical techniques, Chromatographic techniques HPLC, Chromatographic techniques GLC, Electrophoresis, Purification of biomolecules- Gel filtration, Purification of biomolecules-Ion exchange, Purification of biomolecules- Affinity techniques. |
| HBTBC 213 | Metabolism Of Biomolecules: Amino Acids Proteins, Carbohydrates And Lipids | Covers the metabolism of amino acids, proteins, lipids and carbohydrates. Focus will be on the individual steps in the metabolic reactions |
| HBTBC 214 | Molecular Biology 2: Gene manipulation and regulation of gene expression | Introduces students to the different classes of RNA, transcription, processing gene silencing mechanisms. Gene regulation, cloning and synthesis of gene libraries, screening and identification of candidate genes, Polymerase chain reaction, applications and in vitro mutagenesis. |
| HBTBC 206 | Plant Biochemistry | Introduces students to Plant Biochemistry and covers topics including photosynthesis, carbon and lipid metabolism, nitrogen assimilation, production of secondary metabolites and also introduces students to the ways in which plants grow and deal with biotic and abiotic stress. |
| HBTBC 207 | Immunology | Introduces students to basic concepts of immunology, terminology, components, immune cells and organs. Innate and & amp; Adaptive Immunity, Humoral and cellular Immunity. Structure and Function of Antibody, Antibody diversity. Interaction of Antibody and antigens. Generation of immune cells, Clonal selection and genetics. Cell-mediated immunity: Functions of T cells, T cell receptors, MHC restriction, MHC and CD proteins and other cells of the immune systems. Cytokines and Chemokines, and their receptors. The Immunology of HIV infection and AIDS. Adaptive immunity to infections Vaccination and Vaccine production. Production and characterization of polyclonal sera. Monoclonal antibody production and uses. Antibody fragments isolation and purification. Allergy and hypersensitivity. Autoimmunity and transplantation |
| HBTBC 208 | Mechanisms of Enzyme Action |
Introduces students to mechanism of catalysis in enzymes, graphs of the Michaelis-Menten equation, advanced enzyme kinetics including kinetics of multi-substrate enzyme mechanisms, deviation from hyperbolic enzyme kinetics, allosteric enzymes, Inhibition of higher order enzyme reactions, mechanism-based inhibitors, mechanoenzymes, reactions mechanisms of individual enzymes, use of isotopes for studying enzyme mechanisms, product release before completion of the catalytic cycle, experimental techniques for studying enzymes. |
| HBTBC 210 | Membrane Biochemistry | Introduces students to Membrane Biochemistry which deals with the chemical composition of biological membranes and seeks to understand how the structure of various membranes is related to their function. |
| HBTBC 212 | Enzyme Biotechnology | Introduces students to sources, purification, preparation and applications of enzymes in industry, Immobilisation of enzymes, Biosensors, and Analytical applications of enzymes. |
| HBTBC 370 | Industrial Research Project | Introduces students to the working environment in industry. An attachment is a great way to gain top-notch experience in a professional setting. The student will spend time working in an appropriate industry with biochemical applications and developing their professional skills, awareness and ability. |
| HBTBC 380 | Industrial Attachment | Introduces students to the working environment in industry. An attachment is a great way to gain top-notch experience in a professional setting. The student will spend time working in an appropriate industry with biochemical applications and developing their professional skills, awareness and ability. |
| HBTBC 401 | Practical Techniques in Biochemistry 3 |
Introduces students to Radioisotope techniques, Freeze Drying techniques, Spectroscopic techniques: -Fluorescence, -Mass spectrometry, -Nuclear magnetic resonance - New techniques. |
| HBTBC 409 | Bioinformatics | Describes how the sequencing data has been created and introduces students to the databases and computational tools available to analyse this huge wealth of data. The course covers next-generation sequencing; gene, genome and protein databases; genome annotation; alignment of DNA and protein sequences; DNA and protein motif discovery; phylogenetics and protein structure prediction. The students are also given examples of how these tools are being used to improve human health. |
| HBTBC 470 | Dissertation Project | Introduces students to research project studies, ethics in scientific research, powerpoint presentations, research project proposal presentations, research project write-up. |
| HBTBC 414 |
Plant and Animal Biotechnology |
Introduces students to genetic engineering, plant tissue culture, transformation, screening, applications, patenting and regulation of molecular biotechnology. New Breeding Technologies (NBTs) will also be covered. Covers the structural states of animal and human genomes under a variety of conditions, including cloning of specific genes to generate healthier transgenic animals and genome editing in human therapy |
| HBTBC 403 | Biochemistry of Parasites and Vectors | This module gives an overview of diseases caused by parasites and vectors. Concentrating on the biochemistry of the infection processes, the disease caused, the pathological development, interaction of the parasite and the host. The role of the vectors in disease transmission, the biochemical development of the infectious agent in the vector, the biology of the vector and the interaction with the environment and the host. Details on the biochemistry, biology and molecular biology of the parasites and vectors, Plasmodium, Toxoplasma gondii, Schistosomiasis, Trypanosomiasis, Leishmaniasis, Ameobiasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, microbes e.g. Tuberculosis mycobacterium. Vaccine development against parasites – biochemical details on failures, successes and challenges, control methods of vectors – biochemical, environmental and biological. |
| HBTBC 404 | Molecular Virology including HIV | Covers the principles of virus structure, symptoms, nomenclature, replication and genetics including a discussion of new technologies as well as established methods. |
| HBTBC 418 | Biochemistry & Immunology of Non Communicable Diseases including Cancers | The module covers non-communicable disease (NCD) that are not transmissible directly from one person to another but are due to a fundamental failure of the biochemical or immunological processes in the body. The four main types of non-communicable diseases include cardiovascular disease, cancer, chronic respiratory disease and diabetes. The NCDs include Parkinson’s disease, autoimmune diseases, strokes, most heart diseases, most cancers, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, Alzheimer’s disease, cataracts, and many others. |