CHE2MEC
Medicinal Chemistry
(20 credit points, second semester)Coordinator: Dr Andrew Hughes
This unit is available to students enrolled in the Bachelor of Medicinal Chemistry course. Other students must seek approval from the unit coordinator.
In the core medicinal chemistry topic of this unit, students will be introduced to the fundamental concepts of the field of medicinal chemistry. This will include the definition and classifications of drugs, the historical perspectives of drug discovery and the role of the medicinal chemist today. The emphasis of this topic will be on the four main molecular targets of drugs – lipids, carbohydrates, nucleic acids and proteins (particularly enzymes and receptors). The structure and function of these targets, the types of drugs and how they interact with their corresponding targets will be discussed, including the role of antagonists, agonists and allosteric enhancers. Examples of relevant drugs will be used as appropriate.
Students are free to choose two more topics from the pool described for CHE2DEV but students should be aware that the topics Carbonyl Chemistry and Biological Chemistry are highly recommended.
Textbook: Patrick, G., "Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry", 3rd Edition, Oxford University Press, 2005.
Prerequisite: CHE2FND.
Class requirements: Three 1-hour lectures and one 4-hour laboratory/workshop class per week. This unit is not available for Exchange and Study Abroad students.
Assessment: Three 1.5-hour examinations (80%) and laboratory/workshop reports (20%). The laboratory/workshop program is compulsory and an attendance/satisfactory standard/progress applies (hurdle requirement).