Chemical Information for Biological Chemists

Catalog description

This course examines the structure and organization of the chemical literature in the field of biological chemistry and introduces techniques used to search this literature, focusing on the logic and thought processes necessary for effective information retrieval. The course takes an "under the hood" look at the organization and functionality of a variety of different databases and search systems, and, while learning information retrieval skills, students gradually become familiar with the structure of the chemical literature, the purposes of each genre, and the steps of the scientific publication process. Search skills are taught using a combination of lecture and laboratory activities, and students learn advanced text-based search techniques, protein and nucleotide sequence and structure similarity search strategies, basic substructure and reaction search strategies, and methods of retrieving property information and profiling substances by their properties. Students will also undertake a detailed examination protein and small molecule crystal structure databases. In addition to search skills, the students are exposed to strategies for choosing a publication venue; the use and limitations of citation information when evaluating authors, institutions, and journals; and the basic principles behind peer review. The semester closes with a brief introduction to personal data management and an in-depth discussion of the ethics surrounding scientific communication. The course is taught at a level appropriate for graduate students and advanced undergraduates and requires permission of the instructor to register. Undergraduate students should have taken two semesters of organic chemistry prior to enrolling. Students should have an interest in biochemistry or molecular biology research.