PhD courses at University of Copenhagen

Chemical Biology & Combinatorial Methods - Trends in Chemistry, Biology and Medicine
Provider: Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences

Activity no.: 3155-14-00-00
	Enrollment deadline: 20/09/2014

Date and time	29.09.2014, at: 09:00 - 10.10.2014, at: 16:00
Regular seats	16
Course fee	7,800.00 kr.
ECTS credits	10.00

Contact person	Marianne Wieslander Jørgensen E-mail address: marianne.joergensen@sund.ku.dk

Enrolment Handling/Course Organiser	PhD administration E-mail address: phdkursus@sund.ku.dk

Aim and content This course is a biannual, challenging and up-to-date PhD-course in chemical biology and combinatorial methods. Chemical biology is a multidisciplinary research area that combines scientific ideas and approaches of chemistry, biology, medicine and allied disciplines to understand and manipulate biological systems with molecular precision. Combinatorial methods comprise the tools applied to generate both diverse and focused compound libraries of small organic molecules, peptides, their analogues and bioactive or biomimetic compounds. The course is primarily aimed at graduate students working within chemistry at the borderline to biological, pharmaceutical and medical sciences. The chemistry and biology of biopolymers, biomacromolecules and their analogues as well as of bioactive small molecules will be covered. The course also includes hot topics in chemical biology, including biopharmaceuticals and protein medicinal chemistry. Course title Chemical Biology & Combinatorial Methods - Trends in Chemistry, Biology and Medicine Learning objectives A student who has met the objectives of the course will be able to: a. Understand concepts and methods in chemical biology and how perturbation of biological systems can increase the understanding of complex biological mechanisms. b. Understand concepts and methods in combinatorial sciences as tools for generation and identification and unraveling biological activity or another desired property. c. Understand the synthesis and application of biopolymers, biomacromolecules and their analogues in chemical biology. This includes a deeper understanding of the role of carbohydrates in biopharmaceutical chemistry, peptides, nucleic acids, lipids and biomimetics. d. Recognize new trends in biopharmaceuticals and protein medicinal chemistry. Content The history and definitions of chemical biology and combinatorial methods in chemistry. Up-to-date examples of combinatorial methods in chemistry and biology in academic and pharmaceutical research. Chemical and biological studies of biomacromolecules, biopolymers and analogues hereof in research and drug discovery. Demonstration of how chemical biology aids discoveries and developments in biopharmaceuticals and protein medicinal chemistry. Participants Graduate students with a good knowledge of chemistry and working within chemistry at the borderline to biological, pharmaceutical and medical sciences. Also, individuals from the pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical industry, which seeks introduction to new concepts and to broaden their view on modern trends in chemical biology. Language English Form Lectures, discussions, group work and a mandatory participation in the symposium “Hot Topics in Chemical Biology”. Formulation and presentation of a relevant scientific problem within chemical biology and combinatorial methods, reporting in “Grant application style” and defence of final application. In addition, we will have workshops covering “Writing a successful grant application” and a SciFinder workshop with focus on advanced searching relevant for the topics covered by the course. Moreover, a Journal Club will run where the participants will read, critically analyse and present in groups for all participant and the course directors. Course director Professor Kristian Strømgaard and Professor John Nielsen Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 København Ø E-mails: kristian.stromgaard@sund.ku.dk and john.nielsen@sund.ku.dk Speakers Professor Kristian Strømgaard and Professor John Nielsen are anchor men for this course. Additional lectures will be presented by a number of leading national and international experts in the field of chemical biology and combinatorial chemistry. These include Anette Beck-Sickinger, Leipzig University - Carsten Behrens, Novo Nordisk – Rolf Breinbauer, Graz University of Technology - Ulf Nilsson, Lund University –Ole Hindsgaul, Carlsberg Laboratory - Thomas Høeg-Jensen, Novo Nordisk – Knud J. Jensen, University of Copenhagen – Morten Meldal, University of Copenhagen – Peter E. Nielsen, University of Copenhagen – Thomas E. Nielsen, Technical University of Denmark – Christian A. Olsen, University of Copenhagen –Stephan A. Pless, University of Copenhagen – Angela Russell, Oxford University - Troels Skrydstrup, University of Aarhus – Trond Ulven, University of Southern Denmark, Odense.– Jesper Wengel, University of Southern Denmark, Odense. Course secretary Marianne Wieslander Jørgensen, 353-36449, marianne.joergensen@sund.ku.dk? Dates The course will run from September 29 - October 10, 2014, following individual scientific report writing and a mandatory one-day defence seminar on December 10, 2014. The workload has been set at 10 ECTS corresponding to approximately 275 hours Course location Department of Drug Design and Pharmacology, Universitetsparken 2, 2100 København Ø