CH30098: Techniques in drug discovery
[Page last updated: 05 August 2021]
| Academic Year: | 2021/2 |
| Owning Department/School: | Department of Chemistry |
| Credits: | 3 [equivalent to 6 CATS credits] |
| Notional Study Hours: | 60 |
| Level: | Honours (FHEQ level 6) |
| Period: |
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| Assessment Summary: | CW 100% |
| Assessment Detail: |
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| Supplementary Assessment: |
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| Requisites: |
Before taking this module you must take CH20160
In taking this module you cannot take CH40098 |
| Aims: | To introduce students to some of the specialised technologies and techniques that are used to facilitate the drug discovery process using different case studies to illustrate how drugs are discovered, and understand how they function at a molecular level. |
| Learning Outcomes: | After taking this course the student should be able to understand:
* Understand how biological targets are identified and understand the many problems associated with the drug discovery process; * Appreciate the techniques used to sequence, analyse and prepare different types of biomolecule; * The techniques that scientists employ to generate large numbers of compounds in an automated manner * How the techniques of X-ray crystallography and computational modelling are used to determine the structure of complex biomolecules bound to ligands; * The difficulties associated with preparing large quantities of bioactive molecules on an industrial scale; * Be familiar with the different techniques used to formulate and administer drug molecules within different therapeutic areas. |
| Skills: | Numeracy (F, A), Problem solving (T, F A), Scientific writing (F, A), Independent working (F), Group working (F). |
| Content: | Current problems and bottlenecks associated with the drug-discovery process. Understand the techniques used to purify and analyse biomolecules. Chemical and biochemical techniques used to purify and determine the structures of biomolecules. Techniques used to identify biological targets. Hit to lead optimisation. X-ray crystallography of biomolecules. Computational modelling of biomolecules. Database searching and bioinformatics. Docking drugs into enzyme active sites. Principles of high throughput screening. Combinatorial chemistry. Scavenging resins. Flow chemistry. Microwave chemistry. Principles of scale-up and green chemistry. Process chemistry. Microcalorimetry. Crystal structures and polymorphism. Drug formulation. Administering drugs by oral, intravenous and inhalation routes. |
| Programme availability: |
CH30098 is Compulsory on the following programmes:Department of Chemistry
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Notes:
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