Course Descriptions

Seminars are presented by the BMB faculty (primary and secondary), invited speakers within the University of Miami, and from other universities, government agencies, and industry.  Topics presented cover many aspects in the field of biochemistry and biomedical sciences. All BMB graduate students enrolled in this course will be required to attend seminars and engage in informal interactions with speakers, allowing for discussions and exchanging of ideas on seminar day.

This course is divided into three parts.

In Part 1, students will examine the biochemical composition and structure of the four basic types of biological macromolecules: (i) carbohydrates, (ii) nucleic acids, (iii) proteins, and (iv) lipids. In addition, you will learn the composition and function of dietary nutrients and vitamins. Most important, you will be introduced to nature’s catalytic substances termed enzymes, paying special attention to their mechanisms of action and regulation.

In Part 2, students study how genetic information flows from its storage as DNA sequence to its expression as functional RNA and protein molecules. Here, particular emphasis is put towards understanding control of gene expression by various epigenetic and signaling mechanisms.

In Part 3, students learn how metabolic pathways are used to convert food molecules into energy and chemical intermediates used for biosynthesis of our own cellular materials. You are expected to finish this course with rigorous understanding of the biochemical composition, structure, and cellular metabolism of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and nucleic acids. This will enable you to read and understand advancing topics and applications in a vast array of biomedical specialties. 

This course is offered by various faculty members in the department on a rotating basis depending upon their expertise. For example, an advanced topic course in nanomedicine offered by Dr. Dhar covers these topics through lectures.

This course will provide students with greater knowledge and current understanding the human genome, the mechanisms by which variations and environmental factors contribute to human phenotypes.

Examples of potential topics include:

• chromosome aberrations
• phenotype-genotype correlations
• cytogenetics
• multifactorial traits
• population genetics
• risk assessment
• multi-generation epigenetics
• reprogramming and gene therapy

Importantly, students will learn the new developments in epigenetics. Epigenetics is considered by many to be the "new genetics.” The effects of epigenetics are vast, including tissue/organ regeneration, X-chromosome inactivation, stem cell differentiation, genomic imprinting, and aging. This course will discuss the overwhelming evidence of the contribution of non-genetic factors, such as nutrition, environment, and chemical exposure, on gene expression.

This course provides an introduction to structural biology and illustrates how understanding the relationship between structure and function of biological macromolecules drives drug discovery.

The course will be in three parts, with the first covering experimental and computational tools of structural biology – X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy and molecular modeling. The second part will look at two examples where structural biology has influenced drug design – traditional enzyme inhibitor type drugs and channel blocker drugs. The final part of this course will look at structures of nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) binding proteins and how they inform drug discovery.

This course aims to integrate basic knowledge of mitochondrial structure and function with our current understanding of the role mitochondria play in human health and disease. The first part of the course provides a core introduction to the major aspects of mitochondrial biology, including mitochondrial metabolism, genetics, and biogenesis. The second part of the course focus on the role of mitochondrial and metabolic dysfunction in specific human disorders.

This course will train students in how to communicate science to different audiences. The lectures will focus on training students on how to make effective power point and poster presentations. Lectures will also guide on how to write manuscripts and grant applications. Training in data science as well as patents and inventions will be provided. Students will get understanding on academic career. Each student will prepare presentation on their research and will be guided by the instructor on how to improve it.

This course is a requirement for completion of the Master of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. The overall goal of the BMB research is to provide students with an opportunity for hands-on exposure to scientific research and mentorship. 

The overall goal of the BMB research is to provide students with an opportunity for independent learning with exposure to scientific research. In this independent study course, students will survey different modes of research and scholarly work and work independently to complete the assigned task related to the scholarly work and learning. 

Prior permission required for registration of this course. 

This course will introduce students to basic Molecular biology, Biochemical, and Biophysical techniques for analyzing DNA and proteins. Students will learn how to use relevant techniques, design experiments, and analyze data.