4.7
stars
104 ratings

Robbie Loewith +1 more instructor

18,140 already enrolled

Offered By

Chemical Biology

University of Geneva

About this Course

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Chemical biology is a burgeoning field that has rapidly risen to prominence. This surge of interest has been fuelled by chemical biology’s applicability to understanding critical processes in live cells or model organisms in real time. This success has arisen because chemical biology straddles a nexus between chemistry, biology, and physics. Thus, chemical biology can harness rapid chemistry to observe or perturb biological processes, that are in turn reported using physical assays, all in an otherwise unperturbed living entity. 
Although its boundaries are endless, the multidisciplinary nature of chemical biology can make the field seem daunting; we beg to differ! Here, we deconstruct chemical biology into its core components, and repackage the material. In the process we build up for each student a practical and theoretical knowledge bank that will set these students on their way to understanding and designing their own chemical biology experiments. 

We will discuss fluorescence as a general language used to read out biological phenomena as diverse as protein localization, membrane tension, surface phenomena, and enzyme activity. We will proceed to discuss protein labeling strategies and fusion protein design. Then we will discuss larger and larger scale chemical biology mechanism and screening efforts. Highlights include a large amount of new data, tailored in the lab videos, and a large number of skilled presenters.

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Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

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Intermediate Level

Basic training in chemistry biology and physics.

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

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What you will learn

Foundational comprehension of chemical biology
Interfacial science problem solving and method design
Understanding of applied, translational concepts in life sciences

Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Coursera Labs

Includes hands on learning projects.

Learn more about Coursera Labs

Intermediate Level

Basic training in chemistry biology and physics.

Approx. 21 hours to complete

English

Could your company benefit from training employees on in-demand skills?

Try Coursera for Business

Instructors

Instructor rating

4.61/5 (49 Ratings)

Robbie Loewith

Marcus J. C. Long

Biology

18,140 Learners

1 Course

Offered by

University of Geneva

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating97%(1,596 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

4 hours to complete

Welcome to Chemical Biology: Concepts and techniques

A very warm welcome to you, our new recruits! We'll start you off by acquainting you with the answers to big questions like why study chemical biology and what makes it special. We'll then show some highlights of the course that you are about to take. Finally, we want you to understand some fundamentals, so we are going to start off with some core concepts framed from the perspective of chemical biology.

4 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 58 min), 8 readings, 4 quizzes

8 videos

Trailer1mWelcome1mWhy study chemical biology?11mCourse outline and highlights9mThe building blocks: monomeric units of proteins9mThe building blocks: monomeric units of DNA and membranes8mMessengers and messages: posttranslational modifications, and pathways8mStudying cellular processes with chemical biology in real time8m

8 readings

Course Acknowledgements5m📢 Important preliminary information: Evaluations and subtitles10mThe foundation: the cell10mThe workhorses: proteins, enzymes12mClassical protein readouts12mFlash mob: overview of protein analysis methods10mFlash mob - Chemistry15m📢 Important preliminary information: Evaluations and subtitles10m

4 practice exercises

Components of a cell22mAmino acids24mMatch technique to goal15mFinal Quiz Number 128m

Week2

Week 2

3 hours to complete

The Devil is in the Minutest Detail

A picture used to paint a thousand words. But with the advent of multiple color imaging, microscopy can open a lens with which to view life that few other techniques are capable of. We are thus going to take you on a colorful tour that will show you specific fluorophores, explain why different fluorophores have different colors, and how to rationalize why a molecule is fluorescent. Then we will use these fluorophores in cells, to visualize important cellular processes.

3 hours to complete

5 videos (Total 37 min), 5 readings, 3 quizzes

5 videos

Welcome to Module 23mLight'em up! Fluorophores: structures, and fluorescent principles9mGet out (almost) what you put in!3mTraditional light microscopy – applications10mTraditional light microscopy – precautions10m

5 readings

Physics of fluorescence15mFluorescent proteins10mRNA interference and genome editing20mPlasmids and transfection15mDNA double stranded breaks and γ-H2AX10m

3 practice exercises

Jablonski diagram16mMatch color of fluorophore to structure20mFinal Quiz Number 222m

Week3

Week 3

4 hours to complete

A ruler over time and space! Fluorescent assays to measure complex parameters in real time

4 hours to complete

12 videos (Total 88 min), 5 readings, 6 quizzes

12 videos

Welcome to Module 33mCreating modified chromatin 9mPRC2, a DNA binding complex linked to development and cancer7mTIRF talk7mOn our TIRF4mIf your protein surfs on DNA, hit the TIRF to study it8mPHF1 Prolongs the stable PRC2-DNA complex, promoting activity8mFluid mosaic model5mDon’t get uptight! New methods to measure membrane tension7mGetting a grip on membrane tension measurements4mTORCing TORC: the many faces of the TOR proteins8mTORCing it out: pathways that seek to sense and restore membrane tension13m

5 readings

DNA organization in eukaryotes is linked to regulation10mKinetics of chemical reactions6mComparing chemical structures6mFlash mob inteins6mModel Organisms20m

6 practice exercises

Making proteins via expressed protein ligation and alkylation18mHit the tirf: applications of TIRF microscopy11mAnalyzing data from TIRF experiments to gain mechanistic insights17mModern fluorescence methods, the spark of creativity15mTORCing about Tor's role in membrane tension regulation16mFinal Quiz 325m

Week4

Week 4

4 hours to complete

Putting proteins to work for us

4 hours to complete

11 videos (Total 95 min), 3 readings, 6 quizzes

11 videos

Welcome to Module 44mTracking a specific protein in live cells & in real time8mMolecular zipcodes4mHow to design your fusion protein6mDesign principle and optimization of SNIFITs7mSNIFITs to ID neurotransmitters and drugs10mApplication to point of care diagnosis7mBiological electrophiles, the cell’s way of saying “I’m stressed”?8mBreaking the tether is not that bad10mT-REX: a question of control(s)16mT-REX rewiring of kinase activity through targeting AKT and PTEN: opposing forces meet 10m

3 readings

Many enzyme mechanisms proceed through a covalent enzyme intermediate that can be stabilized through mutagenesis10mSmall molecule signals8mWeighing up our options10m

4 practice exercises

Optimal considerations for making fusion proteins and employing them in chemical biology24mOptimal considerations for making fusion proteins and employing them in chemical biology214mA bit on the nose? Choose the right SNIFITs20mFinal Quiz Number 424m

Week5

Week 5

3 hours to complete

Making light work of it on a larger and larger scale

3 hours to complete

9 videos (Total 74 min), 2 readings, 6 quizzes

9 videos

Welcome to Module 53mA fat lot of use? Proteins that bind and transport lipids12mGreasing the wheels of discovery for new interactomes9mLaser guided lipids7mDeuterium labeling to assess how sphingosine originating in lysosomes is metabolized6mDeuterium labeling and knockout combined9mMitochondria-released sphingosine does not elicit calcium signaling: global sphingosine release does7mG-REX – a method to release specific electrophiles on demand6mG-REX identifies important novel signaling proteins that function in fish10m

2 readings

Sphingolipids8mEndogenous electrophile signaling12m

4 practice exercises

To cage or not to cage?18minterpretation of pulse chase data from wild type and knockdown lines13mVariables G-REX controls that traditional methods do not15mFinal Quiz Number 524m

Week6

Week 6

3 hours to complete

Casting wide your net

We've learned how complex biology is, and how resourceful chemical biologist have started to peer into this complex landscape using custom-designed probes. But given the huge complexity of biology, we often have to start from ground zero, screening for a specific molecule or identifying a target of an interesting molecule. Here we will discuss methods that are ideal for these purposes in cells and in vitro.

3 hours to complete

8 videos (Total 64 min), 1 reading, 4 quizzes

8 videos

Welcome to Module 65mPeptide Nucleic Acid – Use in library synthesis and split and mix approach13mIn the lab - split and mix approach in a nutshell5mPNA libraries show their MITE8mIt takes two: library diversification through DNA display7mA STING operation: inhibiting a protein implicated in numerous inflammatory diseases6mPerforming the Screen8mMutagenesis: ensuring we stay on target9m

1 reading

The more, the merrier: Phage display, necessity, strengths and weaknesses14m

4 practice exercises

Workflow for split and mix17mDifferent methods to achieve diversity30mcomponents and controls for Luciferase assay14mFinal Quiz Number 624m

Reviews

4.7

26 reviews

5 stars
77.88%
4 stars
15.38%
3 stars
5.76%
1 star
0.96%

TOP REVIEWS FROM CHEMICAL BIOLOGY

by RINov 15, 2020

Very challenging yet interesting topic. This is 21st century science towards revolutionizing Systems Biology and other science fields

by MFDec 2, 2020

With due respect sir, I would like to say you that I have problem with the quiz system. I can't tell which on of my answer is right or wrong. Please sir, mark the right anwers in green

by MBDec 12, 2021

Amazing instuctors! Fabulous course, albeit challenging. I'd recommend it for those with a solid backgroud on related fields: Biophysics, Biochemistry, Chemistry, Biology, Genetics, etc.

by LBJul 22, 2021

Wonderful and fascinating course, an excellent introduction to the field of Chemical Biology. I feel really fortunate to learn from this great team of professors. Thank you very much!

View all reviews

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