Third Year Course: Molecular Machines (Former Structural Biology)

This course objective is to gain insight into some important biophysical techniques by which exact structural data can be obtained from large biomolecules like proteins, protein complexes, DNA and RNA. These techniques occupy a central place in structural biology, because they provide insight in structure-function relationships of macromolecules.

Details

coordinator:

Dr. Klaartje Houben

lecturers:

Dr. Klaartje Houben, Prof. Alexandre Bonvin, Dr. Gert Folkers, Prof. Marc Baldus

contact:

Klaartje Houben

teaching method:

lectures and problem classes

period:

see schedule

prior knowledge:

first-year and second year chemistry curriculum

teaching material:

collected lecture notes

evaluation/assessment:

written exam

Contents:

In this course emphasis is on the following four techniques: protein crystallography, high resolution NMR, mass spectrometry and molecular simulation techniques. These methods are used frequently in structural biology to relate functioning, three-dimensional structure and dynamics of bio-macromolecules. At first the background theories of these methods are dealt with, on which the sometimes far-reaching structure-function analyses are based. These techniques are exemplified by some practical cases.

Course material:

Schedule 2013/2014 (pdf)

Lecture notes 2013/2014: See blackboard

Practical Handouts 2013/2014:

  • Bioinformatics (see blackboard)
  • Assignment (html)
  • Structure (html)
  • Interaction (html)
  • ssNMR assignment (pdf)

Practical links

  • BioMagResBank
  • ShiftX2
  • FANDAS
  • Sparky Command Index
  • Basic Linux commands (pdf)