Joint CMU-Pitt Ph.D. Program in Computational Biology

Robert F. Murphy and Ivet Bahar, Directors

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Curriculum - Core Course - Life and Physical Sciences

Students and advisors will choose a graduate level course appropriate to the background and interests of the student. Examples of suitable courses are listed below.

Pitt MSMBPH 2001, Molecular Biophysics 1: Structure [Course web page]

This course (part of a 3-part series: part 2-Interaction; part 3-dynamics) covers the theories, techniques and seminal observations that form the foundation of molecular biophysics. Topics covered include: DNA, RNA and protein structure (as determined by both X-ray and NMR techniques), the structural dynamics of proteins and nucleic acids, protein folding, protein-ligand binding (including cooperativity and allo-stery), protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid interactions, virus structure and as-sembly, membrane biophysics in-cluding the properties and behavior of ion channels and re-ceptor biophysics. These problems are studied together with fundamental physical principles including statistical mechanical, thermo-dynamics and kinetics.

Pitt CHEM 2810, Biological Chemistry 1

This course considers the chemical properties of amino acids, oligopeptides, and proteins, the biosynthesis of proteins, the physical interactions that determine the properties of proteins, the conformational properties of polypeptide chains and biomacromolecules, integral membrane proteins and ion channels, interactions between proteins and other molecules, catalytic antibodies, and biosynthesis of small molecules.

Pitt CHEM 2820, Biological Chemistry 2

This course covers current research in chemical biology. We will discuss how chemical principles are being applied to address complex problems in biological research. Some of the topics are DNA replication and repair, transcription, RNA transport, translation, biomacromolecule interactions to transduce signals, metals in biology, posttranslational modifications, chemical syntheses of biomolecules.

CMU 03-742 Molecular Biology of Eukaryotes [Course web page]

The structure and expression of eukaryotic genes are discussed, focusing on model systems from a variety of organisms including yeast,flies, worms mice,humans,and plants. Topics discussed include (1)genomics,proteomics, and functional proteomics, (2) control of gene expression at the level of transcription of mRNA from DNA,splicing of pre-mRNA,export of spliced mRNA from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, and translation of mRNA, and (3)chromosome structure, including origins of replication, centromeres, telomeres, transposons, and regulated chromosomal rearrangements.