Syllabus of Jawaharlal Nehru University MSc Biotechnology - BT512 - Biophysical Chemistry

Credits: 3

A. Interactions in Biological Systems

1. Intra and inter molecular forces
electrostatic interactions and Hydrogen
bonding interactions

2. van der Waals and Hydrophobic interactions

3. Disulphide bridges

4. Role of water and weak interactions

B. Structure of Proteins

1. Conformational properties of polypeptides

2. Primary and secondary structure α-helix, β-sheet structures etc.

3. Tertiary and quarternary structure

4. Structural features of membrane proteins

5. Secondary and tertiary structure prediction of protein conformation

C. Multiple equilibrium

1. Titration of proteins to evaluate net and total charge

2. Scatchard and Hill plots

3. Folding-unfolding equilbrium and denaturation of proteins

4. Effect of temperature and solvent conditions on the thermodynamics of protein folding-unfolding equilibrium

5. Kinetics of protein folding

D. Techniques for the study of Macromolecular Structure

1. Analytical Ultracentrifugation : Sedimentation velocity and equilibrium, determination of molecular weights

2. Micro calorimetry (DSC and ITC) and its application

3. Circular Dichroism spectroscopy

4. UV, visible and Fluorescence spectroscopy

5. X-ray Diffraction

6. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)

8. Mass Spectrometry

Reading Material

1. Proteins: Structure and Molecular Properties by T.E. Creighton

2. Biophysical Chemistry Part I & II by C.R. Cantor and P.R. Schimmel

3. Physical Biochemistry by K.E. van Holde

4. Physical Biochemistry by David Freifelder

5. Introduction to Protein Structure: C. Branden and J. Tooze

6. Protein Physics by A.V. Finkelstein and O.B. Ptitsyn