Analytical Biochemistry
Code
7300
Academic unit
Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia
Department
Departamento de Química
Credits
6.0
Teacher in charge
Maria Alice Santos Pereira, Maria dos Anjos Lopes de Macedo
Weekly hours
4
Total hours
64
Teaching language
Português
Objectives
After the course it is expected that the students know the biochemical and spectroscopic concepts needed to characterize biological systems at the structural and spectroscopic levels. With a strong experimental component, in an environment very similar to a research laboratory, it is intended that students:
- develop the ability to understand and select appropriate techniques and methodologies in the study of a particular biological system
- cultivate a critical analysis and interpretation, in an integrated manner, all experimental data
The writing and discussion of a final report seeks students to develop ability to write a scientific manuscript and acquire training in the critical review of the scientific literature and skills in presenting scientific papers.
Prerequisites
Students should have attended the general courses of Biochemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Separation Methods taught in previous years.
Subject matter
The syllabus of this curricular unit:
1. Analysis and quantification of biomolecules
1.1. Major methods to detect and quantify biomolecule
1.2. Qualitative versus quantitative analyses
1.3. Parameters used in the identifiation and quantification of biomolecules
2. Extraction and purification of proteins - special cases
2.1. Experimental strategies versus aim of the target
2.2. Recombinant proteíns
2.3. Overexpression of recombinant membrane proteins
3. Analysis of carbohydrates
3.1. Chemical and enzymatic methods to identify and quantify carbohydrates
3.2. Separation of a complex mixture of carbohydrates
4. Analysis of lipids
4.1. Sample preparation
4.2. Quantitative methods
4.3. Separation of complex mixtures of lipids
5. Immunological methods
5.1. Antibody-antigene interaction
5.2. Analyticla aplication of biological markers
5.3. Applications of immunological methods
6. Mass spectromety
6.1. Theoretica concepts
6.2. Tandem mass spectrometry
6.3. Applications
7. Bioanalysis of proteins by Nuclear magnetic Resonance spectroscopy
7.1. Theoretical concepts
7.2. Mono- and multidimensional NMR
7.3. Isotopic enrichment of proteins to be studied by NMR
7.4. Applications to biological systems
8. Protein folding
8.1. Thermodynamics of the denaturation process
8.2. Stability curves: effect of the temperature
8.3. Mechanisms of folding
8.4. Diseases associated to protein unfolding
Bibliography
- Analytical biochemistry, 1998. ISBN-10: 058229438X
- Bioanalytical chemistry, 2004. ISBN: 978-0-471-54447-0
- Bioanalytical chemistry, 2004. ISBN-10: 1860943713
- Physical biochemistry. Principles and applications, 2009. ISBN-10: 0470856033
- Understanding bioanalytical chemistry. Principles and applications, 2009. ISBN-10: 0470029072
Evaluation method
Students will be admitted to evalutaion of the theoretical component with frequency.
The frequency is obtained by:
- compulsory attendance of all laboratory sessions
- delivery of the laboratory report (1/group)
Evaluation of the practical component:
- Punctuality, preparation and execution of laboratory classes
- Evaluation of the laboratory report
The assessment of the theoretical component:
Will be carried out by performing three theoretical tests, with a contribution of 40%, 15% and 45%, respectively.
Final grade:
30% practical component + 70% theoretical componente
Considerations:
- Approval to the curricular unit requires a final grade ≥ 9.5 in each of the components, theoretical and practical.
- All scores (tests and evaluation of the practical component) will be rounded to the tenth.
- On appeal exam (recurso) only the theoretical component will be evaluated.
- Improvement of the final grade will contemplate only the theoretical component.