[toc]Protein structure is central to the modern understanding of biology and to biotechnological applications including the design of medicines and vaccines, agrichemicals and enzymes for industrial processes. This module will provide an in-depth introduction to protein structure aspects of virology, membrane ion transport, and structure-based drug design. No similar module is offered at this level anywhere in South Africa.
This module descriptor document also can be downloaded as an MS-Word document.
Sub-modules
- Nitrogen Metabolizing Enzymes
- [VCP]
- [PMM]
- Post Genome Challenge: [SDD]
- Thermostable and Industrial Enzymes
- Structural Biology of the Nucleus
Lecturers
Lecturers include Val Abratt, Arvind Varsani, David McIntosh and Ed Sturrock.
Main Outcomes
The ability to:
- interpret the structure-function relationships of ion transport through membranes and the mechanism and ligand binding of the eye’s photo receptor rhodopsin.
- understand the rational basis for the design of cardiovascular and anti-inflammatory drugs.
- describe viral capsid structures
- understand the structural basis of the immune response
- design vaccines and anti-viral agents
Main Content
- the hydrophobic effect and how it leads to deformable membranes in which proteins can function.
- facilitated transport across membranes and the structure of ion channels
- active transport against a concentration gradient using rhodopsin and Ca-ATPase as examples
- the nature of ATP sites in proteins
- the structure and funstion of angiotensin converting enzyme
- approaches to rational drug design
- virus capsid structures
- viral immunology
- vaccine design and antiviral agents
- structure-based drug design and high throughput screening.
References
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