Protein Engineering

Catalog description

Introduction to protein engineering and design. This course teaches students to think of protein as an entity that can be engineered using molecular tools in order to achieve novel physical and chemical properties. Students first learn the fundamentals of protein structure and how protein structure dictates function, which includes discussion of protein structure, biochemistry, molecular biology techniques, the basics of physical and organic chemistry, and molecular modeling through computer visualization. Additionally, students learn different protein design strategies, including knowledge-based design, computational protein design, and directed evolution, that are commonly used for protein engineering. Examples of engineered proteins with novel structural and functional properties are extensively discussed to illustrate how design principles are applied to real life problems.