MSc Thesis
The preparation and public defence of a thesis which will demonstrate the candidate's capacity for independent study.
Biocatalysis of Chemical Reactions
The application of biological catalysts in organic chemistry, focussing on the use of isolated enzymes, bacterial and fungal systems for the production of fine chemicals for research and industrial purposes.
Instrumental Analysis for Biotechnology
Analytical chemistry applications in the biotechnology industry emphasizing the fundamentals of gas chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography, atomic spectroscopy, etc. with applied examples drawn from the biotechnology industry. Also included is the application of real-time analytical chemistry to process control in manufacturing aspects of biotechnology. Discussion of research papers on analytical chemistry research in biotechnology will provide a central focus to this course.
Advanced Bio-organic Chemistry
Selected topics from the current literature, such as the understanding of enzyme action through the application of organic reaction mechanisms, enzyme models and host-guest chemistry; catalytic antibodies; the chemical modification of enzymes; and bioconjugate preparation and use.
Bioinformatics
(also offered as BIOL 5P06)
Genone sequencing projects. Gene discovery. Analysis of gene expression. Analysis of DNA/RNA/protein sequence data, including mutagenic processes, molecular evolution and systematics, codon usage, reconstruction of ancient molecules, and prediction of higher level molecular structure.
Advanced Topics in Animal and Plant Signal Transduction Pathways
(also offered as BIOL 5P09)
Perception of stimuli to effects on gene expression. Emphasis on the molecular/biochemical tools used to study these pathways.
Mechanisms in Plant Biochemistry
(also offered as BIOL 5P10)
Molecular and chemical control of plant disease processes and development. Focus on the detailed signaling mechanisms and outcomes of signal transduction to a plant phenotype. Emphasis on case studies that highlight the different phases of this process, including the identification of signals, signal perception, signal transduction and reaction to the signal transduction cascade to produce a phenotype.
Biophysical Photochemistry
(also offered as CHEM 5P13)
The principles of light induced processes such as electron, energy, and signal transfer and their role in biological systems. Marcus theory, Dexter and Foerster mechanisms of energy transfer. The optical and magnetic resonance spectroscopy of excited states.
Computational Chemistry: Applications in Biotechnology
(also offered as CHEM 5P14)
Structure-based drug design; molecular modelling; conformational search techniques; secondary and tertiary protein structure prediction; quantitative structure activity relationships; bioinformatics.
Special Topics in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) Spectroscopy
(also offered as CHEM 5P17)
Selected topics in advanced NMR spectroscopy, emphasizing pulse and Fourier transform methods and applications such as multi-dimensional NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution solid-state NMR for the analysis of biological systems.
Prerequisite: CHEM3P40 or equivalent.
Advanced Mass Spectrometry
(also offered as CHEM 5P18)
Application of advanced techniques in mass spectrometry to biological systems, including ESI, MALDI, and FAB MS/MS; use of MS techniques for the analysis of biological molecules, peptide sequencing, whole cell typing, etc.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3P40 or equivalent.
Special Topics in Biophysical Chemistry
Selected topics from the areas of biosensors, membrane chemistry, bioelectrochemistry, at an advanced level.
Special Topics in Chemical Biology
Focuses on the chemical-biology of select biologically active compounds of current interest in the literature. The occurrence, biosynthesis and biological activity, including structure-activity relationships, will be studied. Strategies toward the chemical synthesis of these compounds will also be investigated.
Natural Products Chemistry
(also offered as CHEM 5P24)
Structural features, synthesis and biosynthesis of natural products selected from the acetogenin, alkaloid, steroid and terpene, and other areas.
Medicinal Chemistry
(also offered as CHEM 5P25)
Structure and activity of biologically active organic compounds; introduction to pharmacology, pharmacodynamics, and receptor theory as a background for a more detailed study of chemistry of drugs such as enzyme inhibitors and receptor antagonists; rational drug design, combinatorial libraries, screening and general routes of metabolism.
Enzyme and Co-enzyme Mechanisms
(also offered as CHEM 5P27)
Hydrolytic and other processes catalyzed by enzymes lacking non-protein prosthetic groups; transferase reactions involving biotin, pyridoxal phosphate, thiamine pyrophosphate, folic acid and cobalamin; oxidation mechanisms involving pyridine nucleotides, flavoenzymes, hemeperoxidases, and oxygenases.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3P20 or equivalent.
Advanced Biochemistry
Selected topics from the recent literature covering areas of modern biochemistry.
Advanced Mutagenesis in Disease and Biotechnology
This seminar course will explore the various mechanisms of mutagenesis of the genetic material, how they contribute to disease, and how they can be adapted to produce new biomolecules.
Advanced Molecular Virology
(also offered as BIOL 5P51)
Virus-host interaction, productive cycle, effect of virus on host cell and organism, interferon, DNA and RNA tumor viruses, viral vectors, gene therapy and recombinant viral vaccines.
Advanced Developmental Genetics
(also offered as BIOL 5P52)The role of specific structural and regulatory genes in both vertebrate and invertebrate development; topics include homeotic genes in Drosophila and vertebrate pattern formation, primary induction and peptide growth factor and the use of transgenic mammals and gene targeting to study mammalian embryogenesis.
Advanced Immunology
Humoral and cellular immunity; structure and synthesis of immunoglobulins; origin of antibody diversity; transplantation immunity and the importance of the major histocompatibility complex; autoimmunity and allergic reactions.
Prerequisite: BIOL 4P53 or equivalent.
Advanced Microbiology
Microbial biotechnology, fungal and bacteria biochemistry, molecular and transmission genetics of bacteria and fungi, manipulation and modification of microbial processes for industrial productivity.
Advanced Recombinant DNA Techniques
(also offered as BIOL 5P57)
A survey of recent technical developments in the methodology and application of various recombinant DNA techniques.
Advanced Fungal Genetics
(also offered as BIOL 5P58)
The transmission and molecular genetics of fungi. Recent advances in gene manipulation and the contribution of studies on these organisms to general genetics principles.
Bacterial Genetics
(also offered as BIOL 5P59)
Molecular and transmission genetics of bacteria. Bacterial genetics from early description of transformation and transduction to current developments in molecular practice.
Current Topics in Plant Biology
(also offered as BIOL 5P86)
An investigation of a specific area or group of related topics in contemporary plant biology. Approval of the departmental graduate studies committee is required prior to registration.
Graduate Seminar I
Presentation of one full-length (60 min) research seminar in a public forum and attending at least ten such student seminars (or other seminars designated as appropriate) during the 2 year duration of the student's Master of Science program. Credit in BTEC 5P95 can be converted to credit in BTEC 7P96 by the completion of the additional seminars and course requirements indicated for BTEC 7P96.
PhD Research and Thesis
Preparation, public defence, and examination of a thesis that demonstrates the candidate's ability for independent thought and study at the appropriate level.
Graduate Seminar II
Presentation of two full-length (60 min) research seminars in a public forum and attending at least twenty such student seminars (or other seminars designated as appropriate) during the 4 year duration of the student's PhD program.