Foundations in chemistry and biology

PHAR73001 Foundations in chemistry and biology 15 Semester 1 Postgraduate Taught Level 7 Division of Pharmacy and Optometry 1 FHEQ level (Framework for Higher Education Qualifications) ' Masters/Integrated Masters P4 ' European Credit Transfer & Accumulation System Rating : 7.5 Drug discovery is inherently interdisciplinary, with researchers required to understand molecules and biological systems to design, conduct and interpret experiments and communicate their findings. This unit is designed to provide fundamental concepts of chemical and biological science relevant to drug discovery to enable you to progress through the remainder of the modules, regardless of your previous scientific background. You will learn about foundational concepts in medicinal and computational chemistry, as well as key biological concepts and methods. The underlying biological mechanisms driving carcinogenesis and understanding of how intervention in oncogenic pathways can be exploited to generate anticancer therapeutics will be provided.  Drug discovery is inherently interdisciplinary, with researchers required to understand molecules and biological systems to design, conduct and interpret experiments and communicate their findings. This unit is designed to provide fundamental concepts of chemical and biological science relevant to drug discovery to enable you to progress through the remainder of the modules, regardless of your previous scientific background. You will learn about foundational concepts in medicinal and computational chemistry, as well as key biological concepts and methods. The underlying biological mechanisms driving carcinogenesis and understanding of how intervention in oncogenic pathways can be exploited to generate anticancer therapeutics will be provided.  The unit aims to:- Build an understanding of the link between molecular structure and properties based on sound physical principles including molecular orbital theory, classical mechanics etc and how these determine the behaviour of atoms in functional groups and whole molecules.  - Revise pharmaceutical chemistry basics may be required for some students and will be self-led using online resources.- Illustrate the biological pathways and their critical components conferring a developmental advantage to cancer cells and delineate the procedure of the identification of diagnostic and prognostic markers using this information.  - Present the routes of selection of patients who may respond to therapy, define the therapeutic strategies for targeting specific subtypes of cancer, and explain personalized cancer therapy.  Apply thermodynamic principles to understand the link between chemical structure and the physicochemical behaviour of drug moleculesAppraise the role of molecular orbital theory, classical mechanics and structure-based descriptors in mediating and rationalising the link between structure and propertiesRelate DNA structure, its mutations, oncogenes and tumour suppressors to cancer development and progression  Develop an understanding of the fundamentals of tumour biology and the hallmarks of cancerAppraise the role of the immune system in the development of cancer and resistance to therapy  Discover key theoretical frameworks across the pharmaceutical sciences, integrating concepts from medicinal chemistry, molecular oncology, and tumour immunology to support sophisticated analysis of current and emerging scientific evidence.Critically evaluate complex molecular and clinical evidence to determine potential cancer prognostic markers, identify candidate anticancer drug targets, and appraise patient subgroups most likely to benefit from specific therapeutic interventions. Perform simple calculations using routine software such as ChemdrawPerform the calculation of a clogP using fragment look up tables.Use bioinformatic tools (GeneCards, BioGrid, cBioPortal, DAVID bioinformatica, Metascape) to identify targets for drug development.  Communicate ideas clearly in writing, speaking, and listeningSolve applied problems  Develop advanced vocabulary, learn concepts quickly, and use convincing arguments build on existing knowledge  This module will be delivered in a face-to-face format over 6 weeks (block 2). Teaching material, including lectures that will be available online either prior to face-to-face (F2F) teaching sessions/tutorials or after live/F2F delivery. The face-to-face time will consist of a series of lectures and workshops in which core concepts (introduced through pre-reading) will be re-capped and any further development discussed.  When possible, lectures will be recorded and distributed online.  Alongside this, on-going support will be provided both online and F2F.  1 Written exam 50% 7 Oral assessment/presentation 50% Exam - On Canvas, within 15 working days.  Presentation - A drop-in session will be held for students to get personalised feedback  N Thomas Dandekar Meik Kunz Bioinformatics An Introductory Textbook, Springer, 2023.  https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-65036-3Bruno A, Costantino G, Sartori L, Radi M. The In Silico Drug Discovery Toolbox: Applications in Lead Discovery and Optimization. Curr Med Chem. 2019;26(21):3838-3873. doi: 10.2174/0929867324666171107101035. PMID: 29110597.  Lectures 12 Practical classes & workshops 62 0 76