Structure of Polymers and Biopolymers 1200-2BLOK4-BIOW5

Synthetic and natural polymers. Isomeric properties of polymers. Statistics of a single chain molecule. Coil-globule transition for flexible chain polymers. Effects of conformational stiffness. Structural ordering in polymer liquids and polymer crystallization. Dynamics of a single chain molecule in solution - the Rouse model. Dynamics of polymer chains in concentrated solutions or melts - unusual diffusion of polymers in macromolecular systems. Reptation theory and other theories of polymer dynamics. Polypeptides and proteins. Conformational analysis. Helical structures. Secondary and tertiary structure of proteins. Molecular interactions in proteins - interactions stabilizing the three dimensional structure, hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic effects. Increasing thermal stability of proteins. Protein engineering. Sequence-structure-function, evolutionary relationships. Reversible denaturation of proteins - thermodynamics and dynamics of the process. DNA, RNA and other biopolymers. DNA and chromatin structure. Secondary and tertiary structure of RNA. Interactions between biomacromolecules. Protein assemblies. Chaperons. Protein-DNA interactions. Structure of simple viruses

Main fields of studies for MISMaP

chemistry
physics
computer science
biology
biotechnology

Type of course

obligatory courses

Mode

Classroom

Prerequisites (description)

Students should understand basic concepts of molecular interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, hydrophobic effects etc. They should also start the lecture with basic knowledge of proteins and nucleic acids.

Course coordinators

Dominik Gront
Andrzej Koliński

Learning outcomes

The student can describe how proteins and nucleic acids are built, and is also able to justify what this structure results from. He can describe the interactions which at the atomic level influence the conformation of a biopolymer. Understands how the process of sequence evolution is related to the structure of proteins.

Assessment criteria

Attendance and final written test (in a classroom) / oral exam (possibly online)

Practical placement

does not concern

Bibliography

1. P. G. de Gennes, Scaling Concepts in Polymer Physics, Cornell, 1979
2. P. J. Flory, Statistical Mechanics of Chain Molecules, Interscience, 1968
3. C. Branden, J. Tooze, Introduction to Protein Structure, Garland Pub. 1991
4. P. C. Turner, A. G. McLennan, A. D. Bates, M. R. H. White, Instant Notes in Molecular Biology, Springer 1998

Additional information

Additional information (registration calendar, class conductors, localization and schedules of classes), might be available in the USOSweb system:

Description of 1200-2BLOK4-BIOW5 in USOSweb