Durham University
Programme and Module Handbook

Undergraduate Programme and Module Handbook 2009-2010 (archived)

Module CHEM4211: BIOACTIVE CHEMISTRY 4

Department: Chemistry

CHEM4211: BIOACTIVE CHEMISTRY 4

Type Tied Level 4 Credits 20 Availability Available in 2009/10 Module Cap None. Location Durham
Tied to FGC0

Prerequisites

  • Bioactive Chemistry 3 (CHEM3211), Advanced Organic Chemistry (CHEM3031) AND Biological Chemistry (CHEM2051).

Corequisites

  • Research Skills (CHEM4081).

Excluded Combination of Modules

  • Core Chemistry 4 (CHEM4311) AND Contemporary Chemistry (CHEM4321).

Aims

  • To build on material taught at level three and provide students with an advanced overview of more specialised areas.

Content

  • Modern synthetic methodology.
  • Principles of enantioselective synthesis.
  • Applied organic synthesis.
  • Medicinal chemistry.

Learning Outcomes

Subject-specific Knowledge:
  • appreciate the problems involved in target synthesis of organic molecules, apply retrosynthetic analysis to their synthesis and make an informed judgement as to the most suitable reagent for a particular transformation;
  • describe and explain strategies for the synthesis of enantiopure compounds;
  • rationalise known synthetic routes to complex organic molecules;
  • classify drugs according to their site and mode of action and critically discuss the relationships between structure and activity;
  • describe methods by which drugs may be discovered, optimised and formulated;
  • use molecular modelling packages to predict the mode of action of certain classes of compounds.
Subject-specific Skills:
    Key Skills:

      Modes of Teaching, Learning and Assessment and how these contribute to the learning outcomes of the module

      • Facts and new concepts are introduced in the lecture courses.
      • Students' knowledge is tested by examination.
      • Undergraduates are aided in the learning process by workshops where they attempt sample problems and office hours where staff are available to answer any queries about the lecture courses.

      Teaching Methods and Learning Hours

      Activity Number Frequency Duration Total/Hours
      Lectures 36 1 Hour 36
      Seminars 4 1 Hour 4 ■
      Office hours 6 1 Hour 6
      Preparation and Reading 154
      Total 200

      Summative Assessment

      Component: Examination Component Weighting: 100%
      Element Length / duration Element Weighting Resit Opportunity
      examination 1 1.5 hours 50%
      examination 2 1.5 hours 50%

      Formative Assessment:

      Workshop problems.

      ■ Attendance at all activities marked with this symbol will be monitored. Students who fail to attend these activities, or to complete the summative or formative assessment specified above, will be subject to the procedures defined in the University's General Regulation V, and may be required to leave the University