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Chemical Biology |
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Graduate Student Coordinator: Melissa Torres
Chemical Biology Faculty Director: Kathleen Hall
Chemical Biology Program Website
Chemical Biology Program Guidelines
(Students interested in this program for Fall 2006 should apply through the Biochemistry Program or through the Washington University Chemistry Department.)
Chemical Biology is an emerging field in which synthetic and physical organic chemistry are brought to bear on problems of critical biological relevance. During the last decade, truly remarkable advances in protein chemistry, molecular biology, and organic chemistry have been combined and exploited to gain insights into biological phenomena. The molecular mechanisms of cellular regulation and metabolism have been probed, experimental therapeutics are increasingly directed by an understanding of molecular recognition, and novel syntheses are often driven by modeling experiments. The fundamental principles of chemistry collectively form the foundation for understanding molecular structure/function relationships.
Our program has been designed for students seeking the multi-disciplinary scientific tools to become involved in this emerging discipline. Applicants should have an undergraduate background which includes one year of each of the following courses: general biology; general chemistry; organic chemistry; physics; physical chemistry (1 semester acceptable); and calculus. Additional advanced courses in biology, biochemistry, chemistry, mathematics, and/or physics are recommended.
The facilities available in the program include 300, 500, and 600 MHz NMR spectrometers, FAB and electro-spray mass spectrometers, X-ray diffraction, electron and confocal microscopy, fluorescence spectrometry, peptide and nucleic acid synthesis and analysis, infrared, ultraviolet, circular dichroism, and all standard chemical and biochemical techniques.
Program faculty are engaged in a variety of studies, including: membrane function and novel synthetic membranes; protein conformation and function; synthetic receptors; mechanism-based drug development and modeling; development of novel magnetic resonance imaging agents; novel peptide and peptidomimetic synthesis; protein structure-function relationships in genetically manipulatable model organisms; RNA hydrolysis; and drugs designed to interact with DNA.
For information regarding career paths and complete program guidelines, click here.
Program of Study
Students are required to successfully complete four core courses during the first two semesters of study. In the first semester, students enroll in the following courses:
Fundamentals of Molecular Cell Biology (Bio 5068)
Protein Structure and Function (Bio 5325)
In the second semester, students take the following required classes:
Bioorganic Chemistry (Chem 453)
Organic Chemistry III (Chem 451)
Elective courses that could be incorporated into a student's program include:
Special Topics in Microbial Pathogenesis (Bio 5217)
Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (Bio 5261)
Macromolecular Interactions (Bio 5312)
Molecular Foundations of Medicine (Bio 5319)
Molecular Virology (Bio 5391)
Molecular Microbiology and Pathogenesis (Bio 5392)
Cellular Neurobiology (Bio 5571)
Principles of Molecular Recognition (Bio 5461)
Nucleic Acids and Protein Biosynthesis (Bio 548)
Nucleic Acid Chemistry (Chem 520)
Advanced Organic Synthesis (Chem 557)
Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (Chem 578)
Laboratory research rotations begin in the first semester. Normally, a student will undertake three rotations of approximately four months duration each. The candidacy examination is normallyadministered at the end of the second year in residence and consists of a proposal written by the candidate and defended before three program faculty chosen by the student.
For more information about the Chemical Biology Program, click here for web site.
Chemical Biology Program Faculty |
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| Douglas F. Covey, Ph.D. - Medicinal chemistry of steroids. |
| Richard W. Gross, M.D., Ph.D. - The molecular mechanisms through which biologic membranes participate in cellular activation processes. |
| Michael L. Gross, Ph.D. - Development and application of mass spectrometry in proteomics, biochemistry, and medicine. |
| Timothy E. Holy, Ph.D. - Neural mechanisms of pheromone detection, recognition, and olfactory learning. |
| Paul W. Hruz, Ph.D., M.D. - Structural Biology and Regulation of Glucose Transport; Molecular Mechanisms Leading to Insulin Resistance |
| Kevin D. Moeller, Ph.D. - Developing new methods for peptide mimetic and natural product synthesis. |
| Stephen M. Moerlein, Ph.D. - Development of radiopharmaceuticals for PET and SPECT. |
| David R. Piwnica-Worms, M.D., Ph.D. - Molecular imaging of gene expression and protein function in vivo; multidrug resistance transporters; metallopharmaceuticals. |
| John-Stephen A. Taylor, Ph.D. - Structure-activity relationships in UV mutagenesis. Designing chemotherapeutic and imaging agents. |
| John W. Turk, M.D., Ph.D. - Phospholipid-derived mediators and insulin secretion. |
| Michael J. Welch, Ph.D. - Use of radiopharmaceuticals to evaluate receptor and enzyme levels in vivo. |
| Karen L. Wooley, Ph.D. - Organic and polymer synthesis; novel macromolecular architectures as mimetics of biological delivery agents; degradable polymers. |
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