M.Tech and Ph.D students

BO6140: Structural Biology

Course objective:

The course emphasis on techniques used to determine and analyze the structure of macromolecules and their complexes. Course aims on case studies which enable students to use the information obtained from macromolecular structures and interactions studies for understanding a biological phenomenon.

Course content:

Quantification and characterization of interactions, involving proteins with other molecules termed as ligands (proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrate, peptide, inorganic molecules etc), using appropriate biophysical and biochemical techniques. Characterization of macromolecular assembles using principal techniques like Light scattering and Atomic force microscopy. Principles of protein and nucleic acid structures: Three-dimensional conformations of proteins and nucleic acids. Covalent, non-Covalent and van der Waals interactions role in protein and nucleic acids structure and folding. Bioinformatics tools for analyzing motifs and folds. Protein and nucleic acids folding problem. Art of macromolecules crystallization: Deals with the rational approaches and methods in protein-protein and protein-nucleic acids crystallization. X-ray Crystallography: Crystal symmetry and systems. X-ray diffraction, Structure factors and Phase problem in crystallography. Electron density equation and Phasing methods in crystallography. Model building and Refinement. Use of Ramachandran plots and other tools for structure validation. Graphics tools to visualize and analyze atomic structure of macromolecules. Case study for understanding biological phenomenon with structures.