Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

This subject will describe the wide range of structures, functions and interactions of proteins and their importance in biological processes, biomedicine and biotechnology. Emphasis will be on the three-dimensional structure of proteins and their interactions with peptides, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids and other physiologically important molecules. We will describe experimental and computational techniques and how they help in determining and predicting protein structure and function and aid in the development of new drugs. The subject matter addresses the general properties of protein structure; the major classes and topologies of proteins; evolution of sequence, structure and function; protein synthesis, folding, misfolding, targeting and trafficking; bioinformatics analysis of protein sequence and structure; binding of small molecules to proteins and drug design; protein-protein interactions; effects of mutations on tertiary structure, protein stability and biological functions; enzyme reaction kinetics and mechanisms. This subject is required for completion of a major in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Knowledge of genome structures from various organisms and the rapid development of technologies that exploit such information are having a big impact in biology, medicine and biotechnology. This subject describes the structure and expression of genomes in higher organisms and provides an understanding of the technologies used to analyse and manipulate genes. Students will learn how the modification of genes in cells and whole organisms can be used to discover gene function or to modify phenotype. The structure of eukaryotic chromosomes is presented to demonstrate how genetic material is replicated and how transcription of RNA is controlled. We illustrate how pathways that regulate RNA and protein are integrated to control cell metabolism and cell fate. The content will cover the bioinformatic techniques used to interpret and extend genomic information. The approaches of functional genomics will be discussed in relation to cancer to illustrate the application of molecular biology to the study of human biology and health.

To participate in the rapidly expanding fields of genome research and protein structure-function analysis it is necessary to have an understanding of the techniques used in these areas.

This subject provides practical training in the technologies of molecular biology, protein expression and molecular cell biology. During the course of the practical work students will learn how experiments are designed, performed and the resulting data analysed.

Areas covered include the use of recombinant DNA for the investigation of gene function, the use of bacterial expression systems for the production and characterisation of recombinant proteins; mass spectrometry to identify proteins and the maintenance and manipulation of mammalian cell cultures, including the introduction of reporter constructs.

Specific experiments will deal with DNA cloning and sequencing, enzyme mutagenesis, protein expression and enzyme assays, the identification of proteins in mammalian sera and using fluorescent microscopy to determine the subcellular localisation of proteins in mammalian cells.

Students will learn how to maintain a laboratory notebook to record their experiments. They will learn and how to write a scientific report based on their work in the laboratory and their search of relevant databases.

In addition, students will develop an appreciation for the current scientific literature and collaborate in student presentations.

The experimental work is supported by a lecture series providing an overview of technologies used in class and in research. Tutorials and workshops are provided to develop skills in relevant calculations, scientific writing and presentations and solving problems by applying knowledge from practicals and lecture material.

This subject will describe the molecular mechanisms underpinning eukaryotic cell organisation, morphology and behaviour and their importance in biomedicine. We will explore the relationships between cellular organisation and the biological functions of normal, stressed and malignant cells, as well experimental strategies for investigating the molecular basis of these relationships. The subject matter includes the compartmentalisation of eukaryotic cells; intracellular RNA and protein traffic; the structure, function and biogenesis of subcellular organelles; protein folding and maturation; vesicle-mediated transport; structure and function of the extracellular matrix and cell adhesion molecules and their role in diseased states such as malignancies; cellular stress responses and linked signal transduction events; cytoskeletal structures and the signal transduction processes regulating the assembly and disassembly of actin-cytoskeleton; molecular processes determining cell movement and shape changes; imaging of processes within live cells.

Aberrations in the structure and expression of hormones, growth factors, neurotransmitters and their receptors can give rise to diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative diseases. To understand the molecular basis of these diseases, it is essential to know how hormones, growth factors and neurotransmitters are synthesised, and how their signals are recognised, amplified and transmitted by intracellular signalling pathways in the target cells.

Topics covered include structures of hormone and neurotransmitter receptors, mechanisms of intracellular signal transduction, second messengers, post-translational modifications such as protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation, ubiquitination and S-nitrosylation; mechanism of apoptosis, necrosis and autophagy, molecular basis of neurodegenerative disease, innate immune signalling, molecular basis of cancer formation and progression, and the use and design of protein kinase inhibitors as therapeutics for treatment of cancer and neurodegenerative diseases.

In this subject students participate in an individual program of supervised research within the School of Biomedical Sciences, or elsewhere within the faculty, at a research institute or overseas institution in which the student contributes to the design of a research project, in consultation with a supervisor; conducts the research; and presents the findings of the project. The project may be self contained or form a component of a larger research program. Each student will receive feedback on their progress through ongoing consultation with their supervisor.

Where a student is conducting the research external to the School of Biomedical Sciences, a School of Biomedical Sciences academic staff member who has allied research expertise co-supervises the project and coordinates the assessment requirements. Detailed assessment requirements, including due dates of individual assessment items, are determined through consultation between the supervisor, the co-supervisor and the Biomedical Science Research Project Coordinator(s) in the relevant department.

The subject may incur additional costs such as travel and accommodation. Students may be eligible for University funding. Where the host institution is located in the IndoPacific, Australian citizens for whom this subject is part of a full time semester of study may consider applications through the New Colombo Plan scholarship funding.

The interpretation of nutritional information relies on an understanding of how nutrients are metabolised and what can go wrong in disease states. The subject material covers control of the digestion and absorption of nutrients; the regulation of blood glucose concentration and the causes of diabetes; the generation of free-radicals and the importance of antioxidants in protecting proteins, lipids and DNA from oxidative damage; metabolic reprogramming in cancer cells, neurons and immune cells; metabolism in the gut: the role of the microbiota; metabolomics and other research methods for the study of metabolism.