chemistry 453: Biophysical chemistry 1: Thermodynamics and kinetics
How do proteins fold spontaneously into the precise 3D structure needed to perform their function? How do organisms synthesize molecules when energy input is required? Why do we get sick when our temperature increases by only a few degrees? In this advanced undergraduate course in the fundamental physical foundations of biochemistry, we will develop theories and models that help us predict and understand chemical phenomena, with a focus on the remarkable molecules and reactions of biochemistry. In principle, there is no reason we need to separate this course from our usual physical chemistry sequence, but given central role of macromolecular structure and reactivity, we need to pay particular attention to the statistical nature of chemistry of biological systems.
Because we are in the middle of the COVID-19, this course was fully remote. The course is available on UM’s Canvas system, and the videos of lecture segments are all available on YouTube on Prof. Kubarych’s channel.