Biochemistry, Chemistry, Pharmacology, and Toxicology

This course will focus on two important methods that are used extensively in biomedical research. Fluorescence microscopy is a useful tool for observing cellular morphology and function that is readily available and relatively simple to learn. Confocal microscopy has emerged as a powerful and popular extension of fluorescence microscopy, allowing 3-dimensional localization and dynamics of cellular components. The course is designed as a boot camp for those cell biologists who are just entering the world of confocal microscopy, wishing to utilize the technology to its fullest potential. Several related advanced topics are introduced to give participants an overview of future possibilities.

Super Resolution Microscopy represents a group of recently developed light microscopic techniques that are able to exceed diffraction-limited resolution (less than 200nm). This course will focus on three types of Super Resolution Microscopy: Structured Illumination Microscopy (SIM); Stochastic Optical Reconstruction Microscopy (STORM); and, Stimulated Emission Depletion (STED). In addition, students will be exposed to cutting-edge super resolution microscopes developed at HHMI Janelia Research Center through the AIC (Advanced Imaging Center). The AIC will showcase several instruments, including iPALM, lattice light sheet and live-cell TIRF-SIM. The course is designed for cell biologists with prior experience in light microscopy who wish to add super resolution microscopy to their research portfolio. Participants will acquire both a theoretical understanding of super resolution microscopy and practical experience using state-of-the-art super resolution microscopes.

Bioimaging studies are rapidly becoming more quantitative due to enhanced imaging technologies, improved analytical and computational tools, as well as increasingly more stringent scientific scrutiny for accuracy and reproducibility. However, there is a paucity of systematic and introductory surveys easily accessible to biologists when faced with a plethora of technical issues in digital image processing and analyses. The lack of clarity on this issue, compounded by debate over the methods abundant in the niche literature, frequently leads to further confusion for those whose primary expertise is not in digital image processing. Unfortunately, erroneous or misguided application of methods in biological imaging analyses is not uncommon, and this can lead to artificial inflation or suppression of biological significance, often unintentionally. The goal of this hands-on workshop is to survey the fundamentals of how image pixel data can be used to extract biologically meaningful information. Participants will install FIJI on their own laptops and will be given ample opportunity to work on actual images for a hands-on learning experience.

This course is designed to provide a broad overview of basic biological chemistry and its relationship to human health and disease. Each class will cover a major category of the molecules of life and a human disease and/or health issue that relates to the topics: why we should eat fruits and vegetables; why milk is supplemented with vitamin D; why some people are lactose intolerant; or, how insulin helps people with diabetes. Particular emphasis will be placed on the interactions between metabolic pathways, the basis of human diseases, and current medical therapies. Lectures will be followed by group discussions of real-life case studies. By taking this course, students will gain a fundamental knowledge of biochemistry and the role of the molecules of life in control of human health and well-being.

Biochemistry I and Biochemistry II provide a comprehensive survey of biochemistry at the graduate level. Biochemistry I will cover the structure and function of biological macromolecules as well as topics on metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. The course will also cover current methods used in biochemistry and medicine.

This is the first part of a two-part course. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

Biochemistry I and Biochemistry II provide a comprehensive survey of biochemistry at the graduate level. Biochemistry I will cover the structure and function of biological macromolecules as well as topics on metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, citric acid cycle, and oxidative phosphorylation. The course will also cover current methods used in biochemistry and medicine.

This is the second part of a two-part course. The completion of the first part (BIOC 301) is required before taking the second part. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

Biochemistry II is a continuation of Biochemistry I. The two courses provide a comprehensive overview of biochemistry at the graduate level. The spring course will cover metabolism and biosynthesis of biological macromolecules, such as glycogen, fatty acid, amino acid and nucleotide.

This is the first part of a two-part course. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

Biochemistry II is a continuation of Biochemistry I. The two courses provide a comprehensive overview of biochemistry at the graduate level. The spring course will cover metabolism and biosynthesis of biological macromolecules, such as glycogen, fatty acid, amino acid and nucleotide.

This is the second part of a two-part course. The completion of the first part (BIOC 303) is required before taking the second part. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

The goal of this course is to present and discuss popular structural biology techniques and data, and to teach students to analyze and evaluate their own and others’ data with a critical eye. Major topics of discussion will include nuclear magnetic resonance, X-ray crystallography, and cryo-electron microscopy. In addition, other biophysical techniques, used to assist in the determination of protein structure, will be covered, as directed by student interest. Assessments will include evaluation of in-class discussions, a presentation or paper, and various active learning assessments.

Chromatin modifications play important roles in many cellular processes, including the regulation of gene expression, DNA repair, and the heterochromatin formation. This course will explore the various biological roles chromatin modifications play in eukaryotic cells. Topics that will be discussed include: histone and DNA modifications and the enzymes responsible for these modifications; mechanisms of chromatin remodeling and transcription regulation; the role of non-coding RNAs in chromatin structure and gene regulation; higher-order chromatin organization and the use of various chromosome capture conformation methods; and, chromatin structure and DNA damage repair. In addition, this course will introduce students to the genome-wide analysis of ChIP-seq and RNA-seq data using a variety of softwares, including publicly accessible web servers such as Galaxy and UCSC genome browser.

This course will provide students with a solid foundation in organic chemistry through a systematic study of the chemistry of carbon compounds, including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, and aromatic compounds. These compounds will be discussed in relation to appropriate concepts of structure and bonding, stereochemistry, transition state theory, mechanisms, resonance, and spectroscopy. The application of the above to synthetic organic chemistry will be emphasized. Considerations in biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be made. The first semester will be concerned with structural bonding, stereochemistry, aliphatic compounds and mechanism. Connections between the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be also highlighted.

This is the first part of a two-part course. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

This course will provide students with a solid foundation in organic chemistry through a systematic study of the chemistry of carbon compounds, including alkanes, alkenes, alkynes, alkyl halides, and aromatic compounds. These compounds will be discussed in relation to appropriate concepts of structure and bonding, stereochemistry, transition state theory, mechanisms, resonance, and spectroscopy. The application of the above to synthetic organic chemistry will be emphasized. Considerations in biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be made. The first semester will be concerned with structural bonding, stereochemistry, aliphatic compounds and mechanism. Connections between the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be also highlighted.

This is the second part of a two-part course. The completion of the first part (CHEM 211) is required before taking the second part. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

This is a continuation of Organic Chemistry I, with the goal of providing a solid foundation in organic chemistry. The second semester will cover alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids, amides, ethers, amines, aldehydes, and ketones, with a brief overview of some biologically relevant structures such as carbohydrates, amino acids, DNA, RNA, and lipids. The application of the above topics to synthetic organic chemistry will be emphasized, and connections between the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be highlighted.

This is the first part of a two-part course. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

This is a continuation of Organic Chemistry I, with the goal of providing a solid foundation in organic chemistry. The second semester will cover alcohols, esters, carboxylic acids, amides, ethers, amines, aldehydes, and ketones, with a brief overview of some biologically relevant structures such as carbohydrates, amino acids, DNA, RNA, and lipids. The application of the above topics to synthetic organic chemistry will be emphasized, and connections between the fields of organic chemistry and biochemistry, medicine, and pharmacology will be highlighted.

This is the second part of a two-part course. The completion of the first part (CHEM 213) is required before taking the second part. Registration is required separately for each part of the course.

THIS COURSE WILL BE HELD AT NCI-FREDERICK The objective of this course is to explore the fundamental principles of modern drug discovery, with an emphasis on antiviral and anticancer drug design. A brief history of the discovery of hallmark drugs, such as penicillin, will serve as a backdrop for in-depth discussions on state-of-the-art techniques for target discovery and validation, lead discovery and lead optimization. Several classes of compounds with therapeutic potential will be discussed, such as peptides, carbohydrates, nucleosides and their analogs (mimetics). The latest methods in molecular modeling, high throughout screening and structure-activity relationships will be presented. The concept of ‘rational’ drug design based on high-resolution target structures derived from NMR and X-ray crystallography will be stressed. The course will benefit from guest lectures from outstanding researchers in specific fields of interest. This course is an elective for Advanced Studies in Technology Transfer.

This course will cover drug development from the FDA perspective. The FDA’s roles and responsibilities related to the various components of the Investigational New Drug (IND) phase of drug development will be covered in detail, including Chemistry, Manufacturing and Controls (CMC), Pharmacology/Toxicology, Biometrics, Clinical Trials, Statistics and Inspection. In addition, a comparison of the development of biologic drugs versus small molecule drugs will be presented. Discussion of pediatric testing and the use of juvenile animal studies in this respect will also be included. The New Drug Application (NDA) process will be discussed in terms of product-label development. Aspects of the post-approval phase of drug development will be covered, in addition to OTC products and drug shortage issues. Finally, attendees will have the opportunity to discuss case studies, labels, and to analyze data and make approval decisions. This course is an elective for Advanced Studies in Technology Transfer.

This course is designed to present the pharmacological basis of therapeutics by discussion of the principles of drug action and the mechanism of action of representative agents. The initial portion of the course will be devoted to an exploration of concepts such as pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, dose-response relationships, and resistance, and toxicity. Subsequent portions of the course will focus on the chemistry, mechanism of action and pharmacologic action of drugs affection the autonomic and central nervous systems, the cardiovascular, and renal systems, pathogenic microbes, cancer and hormones. A review of the relevant physiology of each organ system will be presented.

This course is designed to present the pharmacological basis of therapeutics by discussion of the principles of drug action and the mechanism of action of representative agents. The initial portion of the course will be devoted to an exploration of concepts such as pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism, dose-response relationships, and resistance, and toxicity. Subsequent portions of the course will focus on the chemistry, mechanism of action and pharmacologic action of drugs affection the autonomic and central nervous systems, the cardiovascular, and renal systems, pathogenic microbes, cancer and hormones. A review of the relevant physiology of each organ system will be presented.

In partnership with NIH Clinical Center This course delivered by the NIH Clinical Center is an online lecture series covering the fundamentals of clinical pharmacology as a translational scientific discipline focused on rational drug development and utilization in therapeutics. The course focuses on the following core principles of pharmacology: pharmacokinetics; drug metabolism and transport; drug therapy in special populations; assessment of drug effects; drug discovery and development; pharmacogenomics and pharmacotherapy. This course will be of interest to graduate students, postdoctoral Fellows, medical and pharmacy students, scientists, and health professionals interested in expanding their pharmacology knowledge base.

Over the past decades, advances in diagnostic medical imaging have led to significantly improved patient outcomes. This course provides the foundation to help students understand the theory and applications of medical-imaging modalities (X-ray, CT, ultrasound, and MRI), with an emphasis on neuroimaging. Students will study the process of image formation from a signals and systems perspective and will learn the tools necessary to evaluate the performance of diagnostic imaging systems and will thus identify common sources of imaging artifacts. Through group activities and in-class discussions, students will be encouraged to apply their critical-thinking skills to current challenges in medical-imaging research.

Toxicology is the study of the adverse effects of chemical, physical, or biological agents on living organisms and the ecosystem, including the prevention and amelioration of such effects. Knowledge of toxicology is essential in the areas of drug development, medicine, environmental, occupational and public health, as well as in chemical and pharmaceutical industries. The objective of this course is to introduce students to the general principles of toxicology, the various classes of toxic agents, and the organ and biochemical systems that these agents affect. The course will also focus on the prevention and management of toxicity from several agents. During the course, students will review several events of human and companion animal toxicity that are reported in the medical literature and/or in the media, with the aim to translate theoretical concepts into a real-world context. This is a great course for those contemplating graduate study in the fields of toxicology or pharmacology, or for those who work with toxicologists or pharmacologists in a regulatory or research setting, or for the layperson interested in learning more about toxicology.