Announcements

9. April, 2018

30. March, 2018

The answer key for Quiz 3 has been uploaded to the answer keys page
Graded Problem Set 2: Graded Problem Set 2 is now available on the Problems Assignments page. This is a takehome assignment that is due on 11. April. You can download it by clicking here.

26. March, 2018

12. March, 2018

Question for the Day: Unlike amino acids, which owe their diversity to a diverse array of functional groups, monosaccharides feature primarily two functional groups, hydroxyl groups and either a ketone or aldehyde group. What, then, do monosaccharides owe their diversity to?
The Lecture 5 overheads have been updated

5. March, 2018

Question for the Day: Describe how to easily determine the number of reactions that one enzyme molecule is capable catalyzing in one second.

2. March, 2018

26. February, 2018

21. February, 2018

Graded Problem Set 1: Graded Problem Set 1 is now available on the Problems Assignments page. This is a takehome assignment that is due on 2. March. You can download it by clicking here.
Old Exams and Quizzes: I have moved the old exams and quizzes from the Resources page to a new page named Study Guides.

16. February, 2018

Question for the Day: Assuming proteins fold to produce a structure with the lowest free energy; if you wished to predict the correct folding of a polypeptide into a protein by sampling each possible conformations, and selecting the one with the lowest free energy, approximately how long would this take you?

9. February, 2018

Question for the Day: Approximately how much mass is required to make just one molecule for each of the possible polypeptides with a length of 100 amino acid residues, which are made from the 20 naturally occurring L-amino acids?
The Lecture 2 & 3 overheads have been updated.
Perspectives on Genetics: Antony Stretton, "The First Sequence: Fred Sanger and Insulin", Genetics 2002, 162, 527-532.

5. February, 2018

Question for the Day: What physical characteristics of a water molecule allows a groundhog to walk across a lake at this time of year?
The Lecture 1 overheads have been updated.

29. January, 2018

Question for the Day: What characteristics distinguishes something that is living from something that is not?
In preparation for the first day of class, look over the following:
- Course syllabus
- Lecture schedule
- Review Lecture 1 materials
- Read Chapter 1 in Moran et al
In preparation for our next meeting
- Listen to Science Magazine Podcast on vesicles produced by cyanobacteria.
  - Biller, S. J., Schubotz, F., Roggensack, S. E., Thompson, A. W., Summons, R. E., and Chisholm, S. W. "Bacterial Vesicles in Marine Ecosystems." Science 2014, 343, 183–186.
- Read Science Editorial: Carl Zimmer, "On the Origin of Life on Earth", Science 2009, 330, 198-199.