2003-2004 Undergraduate Calendar-Biochemistry

Last updated: November 27, 2003 @ 08:07AM

Biochemistry
This program is co-ordinated by the Department of Biological Sciences and Chemistry.

Co-ordinators
A Joffre Mercier, Department of Biological Sciences
Jeffrey K. Atkinson, Department of Chemistry

General Information

Administrative Assistants
Caroline Barrow
Beulah Lewis-Alexander

905-688-5550, extension 3388
Mackenzie Chown F234
http://www.brocku.ca/biochemistry

At Brock, Biochemistry courses were developed originally by the Department of Biological Sciences and are now offered by that department and by the Department of Chemistry.

The Biochemistry Co-op program combines academic and work terms over a five-year period. Students spend two years in an academic setting studying the fundamentals of Biochemistry prior to their first work placement. Successful completion of courses in the core areas of Biochemistry provides the necessary academic background for the work experience. In addition to the current fees for courses in academic study terms, Biochemistry Co-op students are assessed an administrative fee for each work term (see the Schedule of Fees).

Students admitted to the Biochemistry Co-op program must follow the Co-op program schedule. Failure to adhere to the schedule may result in removal from the Biochemistry Co-op program. Eligibility to continue in the Biochemistry Co-op program is based on the student's major and non-major averages. A student with a minimum 70 percent major average and a minimum 60 percent non-major average may continue. A student with a major average lower than 70 percent will not be permitted to continue in the Biochemistry Co-op program, but may continue in the non co-op Biochemistry stream. If a student subsequently raises his/her major average to 70 percent, the student may be re-admitted only if approved by the Co-op Admissions Committee. For further information, see the Co-op Programs section of the Calendar, and contact the Departments of Biological Sciences or Chemistry.

The Biochemistry Co-op program designation will be awarded to those students who have honours standing and who have successfully completed a minimum of twelve months of Co-op work experience.

Program Notes

Students preparing for professional studies in health sciences should note that many such programs require completion of a laboratory physics course i.e., one credit from PHYS 1P91, 1P92, 1P93.
CHEM 3P40 is strongly recom-mended for most projects in CHEM 4F90, 4F91 and should be taken in year 3 by students intending to proceed to a year 4 thesis in CHEM.
CHEM 4P27 is strongly recom-mended when offered. CHEM 4P27, together with CHEM 4P40, may be used to satisfy the CHEM credit requirement.
In all 20 credit degree programs, at least 12 credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, six of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above and of these, three must be numbered 3(alpha)90 or above. In all 15 credit degree programs, at least seven credits must be numbered 2(alpha)00 or above, three of which must be numbered 2(alpha)90 or above.

Honours Program

Year 1

·	BIOL 1F90
·	CHEM 1F92
·	MATH 1P01 and 1P02 or MATH 1P97 and 1P98
·	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
·	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93
·	one Humanities context credit or one Social Science context credit

Year 2

·	BIOL 2F01
·	one credit from BIOL 2P92, 2P93, 2P96, 2P98
·	CHEM 2P12 or 2P63
·	CHEM 2P20, 2P21 and 2P42
·	the Humanities context credit or Social Science context credit not taken in year 1

Year 3

·	BCHM 3P01 and 3P02
·	BIOL 3P50
·	BIOL 3P51 or 3P91
·	CHEM 2P12 or 2P63 (not taken in year 2)
·	CHEM 2P32, 3P20 and 3P21
·	one-half CHEM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99 (see program note 2)
·	one-half elective credit

Year 4

·	BIOL 4F90 and 4F91 or CHEM 4F90 and 4F91
·	one BCHM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 - 4(alpha)99
·	one CHEM credit numbered 3(alpha)99 or above (see program note 3)
·	one elective credit.

Biochemistry Co-op (Honours only)

Students admitted to the Biochemistry Co-op program must follow the program schedule as listed below. Failure to adhere may result in removal from the program.

Year 1

·	BIOL 1F90
·	CHEM 1F92
·	MATH 1P01 and 1P02 or MATH 1P97 and 1P98
·	PHYS 1P21 or 1P91 (recommended; see program note 1)
·	one of PHYS 1P22, 1P23, 1P92 (recommended), 1P93
·	one Humanities context credit or Social Science context credit

Year 2

·	BIOL 2F01
·	one credit from BIOL 2P92, 2P93, 2P96 and 2P98
·	CHEM 2P12, 2P20, 2P21 and 2P63
·	SCIE 0N90
·	the Humanities context credit or Social Science context credit not taken in year 1

Spring/Summer Sessions:

BCHM 0N01

Year 3
Fall Term

·	BCHM 3P01
·	BIOL 3P50
·	CHEM 2P42 and 3P20
·	one-half CHEM credit numbered 2(alpha)90 to 3(alpha)99 (see program note 2)

Winter Term:

BCHM 0N02

Spring/Summer Sessions:

·	BCHM 0N00 (optional)

Year 4
Fall Term:

BCHM 0N03

Winter Term:

·	BIOL 3P51 or 3P91
·	BCHM 3P02
·	CHEM 2P32 and 3P21
·	one-half elective credit

Spring/Summer Sessions:

·	BCHM 0N04 (optional)

Year 5

·	BIOL 4F90 and 4F91 or CHEM 4F90 and 4F91
·	one BCHM credit numbered 4(alpha)00 - 4(alpha)99
·	one CHEM credit numbered 3(alpha)99 or above (see program note 3)
·	one elective credit

Pass Program

Satisfactory completion of the first three years of the Honours program entitles a student to apply for a Pass degree.

Course Descriptions

Note that not all courses are offered in every session. Refer to the applicable term timetable for details.

Prerequisites and Restrictions

Students must check to ensure that prerequisites are met. Students may be deregistered, at the request of the instructor, from any course for which prerequisites and/or restrictions have not been met.
BCHM 3P01
Metabolic Biochemistry
Biochemical energetics, kinetic regulation of metabolic pathways. Carbon metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids and proteins; nitrogen metabolism.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week; labs, 3 hours per week for six weeks.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits.
Prerequisites: BIOL 2F01, CHEM 2P20 and 2P21 or permission of the instructor.

BCHM 3P02
Proteins and Enzymes
Primary-, secondary-, tertiary-, and quaternary-protein structure; protein function and physical chemistry; protein structure and enzyme activity. Enzyme mechanisms and kinetics; allostery and control; membrane-bound enzymes; multi-enzyme systems.
Lectures, seminar, simulations, 3 hours per week; lab, 3 hours per week for six weeks.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits.
Prerequisite: BIOL 2F01.

BCHM 3V90-3V99
Special Topics in Biochemistry
(also offered as BIOL 3V90-3V99)
Selected issues in Biology on the basis of faculty expertise.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 8.0 overall credits and permission of the Chair.
Note: under certain circumstances, a student may carry out, under faculty supervision, a detailed study of the scientific literature pertinent to a specific topic. The results of this study will be presented as a major essay and as a formal seminar.

BCHM 4P03
Current Topics in Photobiology
(also offered as BIOL 4P03)
The interaction of light with biological molecules. Effects of ultraviolet radiation, photosynthesis, vision and photoregulation of genes and proteins.
Lectures, seminar, lab, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have either a minimum of 14.0 overall credits or approval to year 4 (honours).
Prerequisite: any year 3 BCHM credit or permission of the instructor.

BCHM 4P06
Bioinformatics
(also offered as BIOL 4P06 and BTEC 4P06)
Genome sequencing projects, gene discovery and gene expression. DNA/RNA/Protein sequence data, including mutagenic processes, molecular evolution and systematics, codon usage, reconstruction of ancient molecules, and prediction of higher-level molecular structure.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 14.0 overall credits or approval to year 4 (honours).
Prerequisites: BCHM 3P02, BIOL 3P50, 3P80 and MATH 1P98 or permission of the instructor.

BCHM 4P08
Topics in Plant and Microbial Biotechnology
(also offered as BTEC 4P08)
Illustrative cases from the current literature to show how specific biochemical processes or structures may be characterized, and how molecular manipulation allows genetic modification of such processes and structures to meet scientific and/or societal needs. Examples include yeast and microbial enzymes or enzyme systems as well as crop proteins and enzymes.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 14.0 overall credits or approval to year 4 (honours)
Prerequisite: one of BCHM 3P01, 3P02, BIOL 3P50, CHEM 3P63 or permission of the instructor.

BCHM 4P09
Topics in Animal and Plant Signal Transduction Pathways
(also offered as BIOL 4P09 and BTEC 4P09)
Topics range from perception of stimuli to effects on gene expression. Emphasis on the molecular/biochemical tools used to study these pathways.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 14.0 overall credits or approval to year 4 (honours)
Prerequisite: BCHM 3P01 or BIOL 3P01.

BCHM 4P21
Mutagenesis in Disease and Biotechnology
(also offered as BIOL 4P21 and BTEC 4P21)
Exploration of the various mechanisms of mutagenesis of the genetic material, how they contribute to disease and how they can be adapted to produce new biomolecules.
Lectures/seminar, 3 hours per week.
Restriction: students must have a minimum of 14.0 overall credits or approval to year 4.
Prerequisite: BCHM 3P50 or BIOL 3P02.

BCHM 4P67
Biophysical Techniques
(also offered as BTEC 4P67 and CHEM 4P67)
Modern instrumental methods of biotechnology emphasizing under-standing theory development of newer technologies which utilize biological components. Topics include optical, X-ray and NMR techniques, separation techniques, hybridization assays, immunoassays, biosensors and mass spectral techniques; membrane chemistry.
Lectures, seminar, 3 hours per week.
Prerequisites: CHEM 2P21 and 2P63 or permission of the instructor.

CO-OP COURSES
BCHM 0N00
Work Placement
Optional Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to BCHM Co-op students.

BCHM 0N01
Work Placement 1
First Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to BCHM Co-op students.

BCHM 0N02
Work Placement II
Second Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to BCHM Co-op students.

BCHM 0N03
Work Placement III
Third Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to BCHM Co-op students.

BCHM 0N04
Work Placement
Optional Co-op work placement (4 months) with an approved employer.
Restriction: open to BCHM Co-op students.