Undergraduate Medicinal Chemistry Course Descriptions

Undergraduate Medicinal Chemistry Course Syllabi

Medicinal Chemistry 204. Medicine and the Chemical Sciences Effects of chemistry on medicine; origins of drugs; role of government; fundamentals of chemical and biological sciences with applications to selected diseases. LEC FALL (3 credits). (Lecture) Medicinal Chemistry 211-212. Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry (5) Principles of medicinal chemistry integrated with those of organic chemistry; structures of compounds in relation to drug activity and biological principles; lab preparation of physiologically important molecules. (Lecture) FALL, SPRING Prerequisites: CHE 101 and CHE 102, or equivalent Medicinal Chemistry 300. Herbs and Phytomedicinals (3) Sources, identification of active drugs when known, plant parts used, medicinal use, pharmacological basis of action when known, preparations used, dosage recommendations and adverse effects and contraindications of herbs used for medicinal purposes. (Lecture) SPRING Medicinal Chemistry 311. The Chemistry of Drug Action (3) Physicochemical and structural basis of drug action; drug sources; mechanisms of drug action; drug design and selectivity; drug incompatibility; drug interactions. (Lecture) FALL Prerequisites: CHE 201-202 or equivalent; intended audience-pharmacy majors Medicinal Chemistry 401. Principles of Medicinal Chemistry (4) Principles of structural, physical, and physical-organic chemistry; mechanistic considerations involved in synthetic organic chemistry, bioorganic chemistry, and design for chemotherapeutic agents. (Lecture) FALL Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202, CHE 319 Medicinal Chemistry 402. Principles of Medicinal Chemistry 2 (3) MCH 402 is a continuation of MCH 401. Drug metabolism, prodrugs and drug delivery systems are discussed in detail, as well as principles of pharmacokinetics and pharmacogenomics. In addition, prototypes of selected drug classes are discussed with a focus on the molecular mechanisms of action of representative drugs. Drug-target interactions at the molecular level will be examined using 3D-visualization techniques, which the students will learn to use. In this course, the medicinal chemistry topics are integrated with relevant topics in biochemistry, physiology, pharmaceutics, pharmacology and structural biology. (Lecture) SPRING Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202; MCH 401 Medicinal Chemistry 403. Mechanisms of Drug Action (3) Within specific drug classes of pharmacodynamic and chemotherapeutic drugs, drug structures, and structure-activity relationships, mechanisms of action, and other factors that influence drug action. (Lecture) SPRING Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202, BCH 403, PGY 300 (recommended) Medicinal Chemistry 404. Bioorganic Chemistry (3) Chemical approaches to molecular mechanisms of the action of enzymes and coenzymes; drug-enzyme interactions; and rational design of enzyme inhibitors. (Lecture) SPRING Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202, BCH 403 Medicinal Chemistry 407. Selected Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Selected topics, particularly the more recent advances in medicinal chemistry. (Lecture) FALL SPRING (var. credit) Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202 Medicinal Chemistry 408. Undergraduate Research Participation in Medicinal Chemistry Projects in medicinal chemistry involving a literature search and lab work. FALL SPRING (var. credit) Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202, MCH 412 Medicinal Chemistry 412. Instrumental Analysis (4) Separation and structure determination of organic compounds by physical methods; laboratory practice in thin-layer, column, and go-liquid chromatography; infrared, ultraviolet, and nuclear magnetic-resonance spectroscopy. Lecture and Laboratory FALL Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202 Medicinal Chemistry 427. Combinatorial Chemistry. (3) Combinatorial chemistry is a new field within the areas of medicinal/synthetic organic chemistry and chemical information technology. Most pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies have now incorporated combinatorial chemistry into their drug discovery research. Consequently, chemists/medicinal chemists with hands-on experience in this new technology are in high demand. Combinatorial chemistry centers on the design, simultaneous synthesis, and computerized tracking of many new compounds (i.e. "libraries" of compounds) in a highly efficient and automated fashion. This course will focus largely on the medicinal and synthetic organic chemistry aspects of combinatorial chemistry. The first third of the semester will be the lecture module of the course (1 credit) and the last two thirds will be the hands-on laboratory module of the course (2 credits). Students may take only the lecture module of the course, but the laboratory module requires achieving a grade of B- or better in the lecture module, and prior approval from the instructor since the lab has limited enrollment. Equipment and supplies for the laboratory module are generously funded by The Camille & Henry Dreyfus Foundation Special Grant Program in the Chemical Sciences and by the University at Buffalo. Lecture and Laboratory Medicinal Chemistry 499. Independent Studies Development of a special topic of student interest under a tutorial arrangement. Tutorial FALL SPRING (var. credit). Prerequisites: MCH 211-212 or CHE 201-202