APSC 640 - Membrane Proteins: Structure, Function, and Biomedical Research

Fall (3) Cotten Prerequisite(s): Consent of Instructor Note: CHEM 415 (Advanced Biochemistry) or the equivalent is highly recommended.

Biological membranes and their constituents are involved in virtually all processes vital to living organisms, including nutrient uptake, information transfer between the inside and outside of the cell, and the mediation of vital activities such as nerve impulse propagation and hormone signaling. It is therefore not surprising that our modern view of biological cells is profoundly related to the descriptions of their membranes and that membrane-associated receptors, enzymes, and ion channels are prime drug targets. This multi-disciplinary course will cover the interplay between the three-dimensional structures, dynamics, and functions of membrane proteins and lipids, the technical approaches used to characterize their functions and active sites under physiologically-relevant conditions, and the therapeutic potential of targeting membrane proteins to treat a broad range of illnesses, such as neurological disorders, infectious diseases, inflammation, cystic fibrosis, autoimmune disorders, and cancer.