CHEM 4344 Molecular Basis of Disease

This course introduces students to the molecular basis of human diseases. It builds upon the principles learned in the prerequisite introductory biochemistry course (CHEM 4334) to examine the fundamental causes of disease at the molecular level. The course will examine the genetic foundations of disease, how genetic mutations ultimately lead to specific structural and functional changes to the proteins they encode, why changes in protein structure and function lead to the health conditions observed, and modern methods that look to target the molecular basis of the disease to alleviate or cure the problem. Some diseases that will be discussed include cancer, cystic fibrosis, prion diseases, Alzheimers disease, and infection by viruses.