In this course, we will learn how biochemical principles regulate a variety of physiologically relevant cellular phenomenon like transport across biological membranes, endocytosis and exocytosis. This course also aims to understand how biochemical pathways process complex macromolecules like carbohydrates, lipids, proteins and nucleotides to maintain energy requirements in physiological systems.
Course content:
The lectures and class discussions will include the following topics
- Composition and architecture of membranes. Membrane dynamics, membrane biogenesis
- Types of membrane transport (osmosis, diffusion, facilitated diffusion, active transport)
- Role of membrane lipids and proteins in cell signalling (Tyrosine kinase and GPCR signalling)
- Endocytosis (lysosomal degradation of endocytosed proteins) and exocytosis
- Bioenergetics
- Glycolysis, TCA cycle, gluconeogenesis and glycogenolysis
- Beta oxidation of fatty acids, ketone bodies
- Urea cycle
- Cholesterol biosynthesis
- Oxidative phosphorylation and electron transport chain in mitochondria (details of mitochondria structure)
- Biosynthesis and degradation of nucleotides
- Vitamins and co factors.
- Pathways, Metabolic network and regulation of metabolism
- Technologies used in Biochemistry
- Bulk technologies
- Single molecule technologies
- Reading of Scientific literature
kasturi.pal@ashoka.edu.in