Course overview
This course introduces learners to the principles and methods of medicinal and biological chemistry; this includes biopharmaceutical foundations, with a focus on the chemical interactions that underpin biological processes. Students will develop a strong foundation in the molecular mechanisms of drug action, learning about biological targets, drug-target interactions, and biopharmaceutical principles. The course also covers modern strategies for drug design and optimisation, equipping learners with essential knowledge for understanding development of new therapeutics. Learners will develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills in both theory focussed workshops and practical based laboratory sessions, in addition to technical laboratory skills, that are essential skills for a professional scientist and are highly valued by employers because they directly contribute to the capability to innovate and troubleshoot in a variety of settings.
- Biopharmaceutical Foundations
- Biological Targets And Drug Interactions
- Drug Design And Optimisation
- Practicals
Course learning outcomes
- apply knowledge of biopharmaceutical foundations, biological targets and drug interactions, and drug design and optimisation to analyse and solve conceptual problems
- accurately represent chemical structures, formulae and equations
- prepare for individual and/or team-based preparative and measurement-based laboratory investigations using appropriate apparatus, techniques and safe laboratory practices
- analyse, interpret and present results of preparative and measurement-based laboratory experiments
- communicate concepts that relate to biopharmaceutical foundations, biological targets and drug interactions, and drug design and optimisation in written, visual or oral form to specialist audiences