Chemical Sciences (M.Sc.)

This essay must examine a current topic in an approved field of chemistry and demonstrate independence in library research, a critical understanding of the area of investigation, and an ability to organize and clearly express facts and ideas in good prose style. The student must make a public presentation and pass an oral examination centered on the critical review essay and matters related to it.

This course will focus on the physical properties of charged electrode/solution interfaces and the chemical processes that occur as a result of changes in electrical energy at those interfaces. Topics include: a review of electrode processes and thermodynamics of electrochemical cells; electrochemical instrumentation; electric double-layer structure and adsorption; electrode reaction kinetics and potential sweep methods. Advanced topics include electrode reactions coupled with homogeneous chemical reactions as well as spectro-electrochemistry. (lec 3) cr 3.

Selected instrumental methods of analysis are treated at an advanced level. Students may not retain credit for both CHMI 5196 and CHMI 4196. (lec 3) cr 3. Lecture (3.00).

The topics covered in this course include: advanced methods for the isolation, purification and characterization of proteins; the determination of amino acid sequences; modification and cleavage of proteins; peptide synthesis; evolutionary and genetic origins of protein sequences; physical interactions that determine the properties of proteins; conformational properties of polypeptide chains; protein structure determination by nuclear magnetic resonance spectrometry; protein turnover in vivo. Three lectures per week, one term.

This course entails an advanced biochemical description of the molecular mechanisms underlying the transport of a diverse variety of compounds across cell membranes. Special attention will be directed towards the molecular basis of the internalization and secretion of molecules, as well as the selectivity and regulation of transport systems. (lec 3) cr 3 Lecture (3.00)

This course examines the structural and functional roles of metals in biological systems and processes, and how model compounds and spectroscopic methods are utilized to investigate mechanistic aspects of metal function. Topics include hemes, cytochromes, copper and zinc proteins, cobalamins, electron transfer in respiration and photosynthesis, nitrogen fixation, the biochemistry of toxic metals, biomineralization, metal homeostasis, and metals in medicine. (lec 3) cr 3.

Topics selected from the recent literature in biochemistry, molecular biology and related fields will be studied in depth. Three lectures per week, one term.

An advanced study of the regulation of chromosome replication, cell-cycle control, signal transduction pathways and apoptosis. The defects in cell-cycle checkpoints and genome instability will be discussed in the context of tumorigenesis. Three lectures per week, one term. Lecture (3.00).

This course deals with the fundamentals of theoretical and applied molecular evolution. Molecular evolution merges the fields of genetics and evolutionary biology to examine the biological world. Topics to be covered are: DNA, RNA and protein data and databases, mutation and genetic variation, the neutral theory of molecular evolution, homology and alignment, the evolution of RNA and protein structure, synonymous and non-synonymous DNA substitutions, radical and conservative amino acid substitutions, phylogenetic analyses, and sequence-based tests for selection. (lec 3) cr 3.

This course will explore advanced concepts of medicinal chemistry. The mechanisms of drug action and pharmacokinetic principles will be discussed in detail. This will be followed by a discussion of the strategies in drug design with special emphasis on combinatorial chemistry and related topics. The course will also include a discussion of the classes and the mode of action of drugs acting on the CNS and drugs stimulating the peripheral NS. Students may not retain credit for both CHMI 5486 and CHMI 4486. (lec 3) cr 3.

This course will treat the principles of chemical thermodynamics from the basis of the theoretical energy surface, through the use of Legendre transforms, Jacobians, stability determinants and elements of Riemannian geometry. Applications of these principles to ideal and non-ideal chemical systems at high temperature and pressure in terms of predicting phase diagrams will be discussed. Three lectures per week, one term.

device function and lifetime. An introduction to surface analytical techniques that are commonly used for studying biomaterials will also be included. Current advances in this area including nanobiotechnology and intelligent materials will also be discussed. (lec 3) cr 3 Lecture (3.00).

The following selected topics in current mathematical chemistry will be discussed in a unified manner: molecular graph theory, analysis of 3-dimensional molecular shape, topology and geometry of macromolecular chains, density functional theory and the theory of atoms-in-molecules. Applications to computer-assisted chemical synthesis will be included. Three hours per week, one term. Lecture (3.00).

An introduction to statistical ensembles of closed and open systems, and their use to compute thermodynamic properties from microscopic information. Topics include: classical and quantum statistics, partition functions and their use in the calculation of thermodynamic properties of gases and solids. The course also covers the application of statistical mechanics in reaction-rate theory of chemical reactions. The course also includes advanced topics such as: quantum phenomena (Bose-Einstein condensates), lattice-gas models and statistical mechanics of adsorption, theory of liquids and polymers, and modern unimolecular reaction-rate theories. Students may not retain credit for both CHMI 5576 and either CHMI 4537 or 4576. (lec 3) cr 3.

This course covers in detail: theoretical approaches to chemical reactivity, computeraided molecular modelling and drug design, and molecular dynamics simulations. Special emphasis will be on computer simulations of liquids, solid-gas adsorption, drugreceptor interaction, protein folding, and the computation of thermodynamic properties by using statistical mechanics and molecular dynamics. Computer experiments will form an essential part of this course. Students may not retain credit for both CHMI 5597 and CHMI 4597. (lec 3) cr 3.

Students will present two seminars, one of which must be on a topic in a field of research other than that of their thesis. Topics will be chosen in consultation with the research director. cr 3. Lecture (3.00).

The following topics in environmental chemistry will be discussed: metal contamination in aquatic systems and diagenetic transformations, chemistry of mine tailings and solid wastes, and recovery of contaminated areas. The course will emphasize the close link between analytical and environmental chemistry. Three lectures per week, one term.

This course will focus on the diverse molecular aspects characterizing eukaryotic organisms. The structure and metabolism of the eukaryotic genome, the regulation of gene expression and the molecular basis of cell differentiation and development will be reviewed in detail. Three lectures per week, one term.