Descriptive chemistry of amino acids and proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. Discussion of structure and function; metabolism and bioenergetics; and biological information flow. At the undergraduate level, understanding is demonstrated through hour examinations; at the graduate level, understanding is demonstrated through hour examinations and a brief paper. Lecture, three hours; one optional conference.

The goal of this course is to provide students with an understanding of the defining characteristics of the major human diseases, the molecular mechanisms responsible for causing these diseases, and some of the molecular technologies used to diagnose and treat them.

Each semester five distinguished scientists visit the UK campus to deliver a series of three formal lectures each and participate in numerous informal contacts with graduate students. The emphasis is on the presentation of the most current advances (often unpublished) in selected topics in molecular and cellular genetics. May be repeated to a maximum of six credits.

An advanced course on the structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids. Topics include: the physical determinants of protein structure, classification of protein architecture, protein- nucleic acid and protein-protein interactions, sequence dependence of nucleic acid structure, ribozymes, dynamics and evolutionary relationships.

An introductory graduate-level biochemistry course focused on the cellular mechanisms that underlie the regulated expression of genes, including transcription and translation, as well as basic mechanisms of DNA replication/repair and recombinatin. Genetic engineering and other experimental approaches critical to molecular biology research will be reviewed.

This course will consider the chemical constituents of plants (with emphasis on biologically or nutritionally significant compounds unique to plants), their biosynthesis, contributions to key metabolic and defense processes and the regulation of their synthesis. Included will be discussions of photosynthesis, carbohydrates, lipids, isoprenoids, phenylpropanoids, nitrogen fixation, nitrogen and sulfur reduction and assimilation, alkaloids and additional secondary compound, frontiers in plant biochemistry.

A lecture and seminar course that discusses primary literature focused on the structures, assembly, and functions of biologically important membranes.

This course will develop the student's ability to critically read and evaluate the primary literature in selected areas of molecular biology; various experimental systems and techniques are discussed. While there is some lecture, the time will be predominately spent in class discussions of the primary literature.

A weekly seminar, required of all students majoring in biochemistry, devoted to discussions of areas not covered in other courses and to recent developments in the field. May be repeated once for a maximum of four credits.