Biochem Course

Lesson 1 • Thermodynamics in Biological Systems

Introduces Gibbs free energy, enthalpy, and entropy as drivers of biochemical reactions. Links thermodynamic principles to metabolic feasibility.

Lesson 2 • Atomic Structure and Chemical Bonding

Covers atomic orbitals, electronegativity, and bond types critical to biomolecule behaviour. Provides the chemical vocabulary needed throughout the course.

Lesson 3 • Water and Aqueous Chemistry

Examines water's unique properties and their biological consequences. Connects solvent behaviour to protein folding, membrane formation, and enzyme activity.

Lesson 1 • Protein Secondary Structure

Examines alpha-helices, beta-sheets, and turns stabilised by hydrogen bonds. Relates secondary structure patterns to protein stability and function.

Lesson 2 • Amino Acid Chemistry

Covers the 20 standard amino acids, their side-chain properties, and ionization behaviour. Connects amino acid chemistry to protein folding and function.

Lesson 3 • Protein Folding and Misfolding

Covers chaperone-assisted folding, the unfolded protein response, and disease-linked misfolding. Bridges structural biology to pathology.

Lesson 4 • Protein Purification and Analysis

Introduces chromatography, electrophoresis, and mass spectrometry for protein characterisation. Prepares students for experimental biochemistry workflows.

Lesson 1 • Allosteric Regulation and Cooperativity

Covers sigmoidal kinetics, Hill coefficient, and allosteric effectors in regulatory enzymes. Links cooperativity to metabolic control.

Lesson 2 • Principles of Enzyme Catalysis

Explains how enzymes lower activation energy through transition-state stabilisation. Establishes the mechanistic basis for catalytic efficiency.

Lesson 3 • Catalytic Mechanisms of Key Enzymes

Examines serine proteases, lysozyme, and carbonic anhydrase as mechanistic case studies. Reinforces general catalytic strategies through specific examples.

Lesson 4 • Michaelis-Menten Kinetics

Derives and applies the Michaelis-Menten equation to enzyme rate data. Connects Km and Vmax to enzyme efficiency and substrate affinity.

Lesson 1 • Complex Lipids and Membrane Structure

Analyses glycerophospholipids, sphingolipids, and cholesterol in membrane architecture. Connects lipid composition to membrane fluidity and raft formation.

Lesson 2 • Monosaccharide Structure and Stereochemistry

Covers Fischer projections, Haworth structures, and anomeric configurations. Establishes stereochemical literacy essential for glycobiology.

Lesson 3 • Fatty Acid Structure and Nomenclature

Covers saturated, unsaturated, and essential fatty acids with systematic naming. Links fatty acid structure to membrane fluidity and metabolic roles.

Lesson 4 • Polysaccharides and Glycoconjugates

Examines glycosidic bond types, storage polysaccharides, and structural polysaccharides. Connects carbohydrate diversity to cell recognition and signalling.

Lesson 1 • Glycolysis Pathway and Regulation

Covers the ten enzymatic steps of glycolysis, energy investment and payoff phases, and allosteric regulation. Links glycolysis to downstream metabolic pathways.

Lesson 2 • Oxidative Phosphorylation and ATP Synthesis

Covers the electron transport chain complexes, proton gradient formation, and ATP synthase mechanism. Calculates theoretical ATP yield per glucose.

Lesson 3 • Glycogen Metabolism and Gluconeogenesis

Examines glycogen synthesis and degradation, hormonal control, and gluconeogenesis bypass reactions. Connects glucose homeostasis to fasting and fed states.

Lesson 4 • Citric Acid Cycle

Traces eight enzymatic steps of the citric acid cycle, NADH and FADH2 generation, and anaplerotic reactions. Connects the cycle to biosynthetic precursor supply.

Lesson 1 • Fatty Acid and Cholesterol Synthesis

Examines fatty acid synthase complex, malonyl-CoA elongation, and cholesterol biosynthesis via the mevalonate pathway. Connects anabolic lipid metabolism to regulation.

Lesson 2 • Fatty Acid Oxidation

Covers beta-oxidation steps, ATP yield calculations, and ketone body formation. Links fatty acid catabolism to energy production during fasting.

Lesson 3 • Metabolic Integration and Hormonal Control

Integrates carbohydrate, lipid, and amino acid metabolism across fed, fasted, and diabetic states. Connects hormonal signals to whole-body fuel selection.

Lesson 4 • Amino Acid Carbon Skeleton Fates

Classifies amino acids as glucogenic or ketogenic and traces their entry into central metabolism. Links amino acid catabolism to energy and biosynthesis.

Lesson 1 • DNA Replication Machinery

Examines the replisome components, leading and lagging strand synthesis, and proofreading. Connects replication fidelity to genome stability.

Lesson 2 • Transcription and RNA Processing

Covers RNA polymerase, promoter recognition, and eukaryotic pre-mRNA processing. Links transcription regulation to gene expression control.

Lesson 3 • Translation and the Genetic Code

Examines ribosome structure, codon-anticodon interactions, and translation phases. Connects the genetic code to protein sequence determination.

Lesson 4 • Gene Regulation Mechanisms

Covers operons, transcription factor binding, chromatin remodelling, and epigenetic marks. Connects regulatory mechanisms to cell differentiation.

Lesson 1 • cAMP and Protein Kinase A Pathway

Traces adenylyl cyclase activation, cAMP production, and PKA-mediated phosphorylation targets. Connects this pathway to glycogen and lipid metabolism control.

Lesson 2 • Calcium Signalling and Protein Kinase C

Examines IP3-mediated calcium release, calmodulin activation, and PKC isoforms. Connects calcium signals to muscle contraction and secretion.

Lesson 3 • Receptor Classes and Signal Initiation

Covers G protein-coupled receptors, receptor tyrosine kinases, and nuclear receptors. Establishes the molecular basis for extracellular signal detection.

Lesson 4 • Phosphoinositide and MAPK Pathways

Covers PI3K-Akt-mTOR and Ras-MAPK cascades in growth and survival signalling. Links pathway dysregulation to cancer and metabolic syndrome.