Structure, properties and synthesis of aminoacids, peptides and proteins. Solid-phase peptide synthesis: native peptide ligation, cyclic peptides, amino acid analysis and peptide sequencing. Brief introduction to ribosomal protein synthesis, combinatorial chemistry, enzyme chemistry: proteases and phosphatases, proteins as drug targets.

Structure, configuration and conformation of carbohydrates. Common protecting groups and protecting group strategies. Glycosylation: general concepts, various methods of glycoside bond formation. Strategies in oligosaccharide synthesis: automated and enzymatic approaches. Glycoconjugates: glycolipids and glycoproteins. Fundamentals of glycobiology, tools for glycomics, carbohydrate based drug discovery. 

Structure of nucleosides, nucleotides and nucleic acids: chemical synthesis of nucleosides. Solution and solid phase synthesis of oligonucleotides. DNA Processing Enzymes: DNA polymerases, ligases, restriction endonucleases, PCR. Enzymatic synthesis of nucleic acids. Principle behind sequencing. Nucleic acid as drug targets. Quadruplex nucleic acids. Nucleic acids based enzymes: ribozymes, DNA enzymes and riboswitches. Nucleic acid based therapeutic strategies: antisense, RNA interference and aptamers,  DNA damage and repair.

Drug discovery an overview. Classification, nomenclature, production and mechanism of action of drugs, methods of drug development, patterns of healthcare, overview of pharmaceutical industry, drug targets, drug metabolism, prodrugs, pharmacokinetics and related topics, enzyme inhibition and inactivation, enzymes as drug targets, receptors as drug targets. Selected examples: NSAID, steroids, antibacterials, anticancer, antiulcer, drugs related to tropical diseases, antivirals, antihistamines.

1. A. Lehninger, D. L. Nelson and M. M. Cox, Principles of Biochemistry, 5th Edition, W.H Freeman, 2008.

2. J. M. Berg, J. L. Tymoczko, G. J. Gatto Jr and L. Stryer, Biochemistry, 9th Edition, Palgrave Macmillan, 2019.

3. D. Van Vranken and G. Weiss, Introduction to Bioorganic Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Garland Science, 1st Edition, 2012.

4. G.  L. Patrick, An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry, Oxford University Press, 6th Edition, 2017.

5. L. N. Holland, Jr. and M. P. Adams, Core Concepts in Pharmacology, Pearson, New Jersey, 2007.

6. E. H. Kerns and L Di, Drug-like properties: Concepts, structure design and methods, Academic Press, New York, 2008.

7. E. J. Corey, B. Czako and L. Kurti, Molecules and Medicine, John Wiley, New Jersey, 2007.

8. K. C. Nicolaou and T. Montagnon, Molecules that changed the world, Wiley-VCH, Weinheim, 2008.