Modern chemistry and biochemistry depends on the ability to make, change and analyse proteins and enzymes. In this course, students will practice all of the steps required to modify genetic information in DNA, and to produce proteins in bacterial cells (in vivo) and in a test tube (in vitro). In addition, the course will teach the fundamental biochemical principles of DNA mutagenesis, protein production and purification, and analysis of proteins by bioinformatics and various biophysical techniques.
This course is co-taught with undergraduate students but assessed separately.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
- Make mutant gene constructs;
- Express proteins in vivo;
- Purify proteins from E. coli;
- Analyse proteins with specialized spectroscopic tools;
- Examine protein translation in bacterial cells and communicate this information in written and oral format;
- Analyze bioinformatics tools for the prediction of protein properties and evaluate their relative merits;
- Solve numerical problems associated with each course component;
- Use and refine modern machine learning tool for structural and chemical biology;
Other Information
You will need to contact the Research School of Chemistry at rsc.teaching@anu.edu.au to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Indicative Assessment
- End of session written exam (50) [LO 4,5,6,7,8]
- Group based learning assessment (20) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
- 5 take home and tutorial assessments (25) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
- Protein wet labs write-ups (5) [LO 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8]
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
The expected workload will consist of approximately 130 hours throughout the session including:
- Face-to face component delivered intensively across two weeks, 9-5, Monday to Friday including lectures, tutorials and laboratories.
- Approximately 70 hours of self-directed study which will include preparation for lectures, labs and other assessment tasks.
Inherent Requirements
No specific inherent requirements have been identified for this course.
Requisite and Incompatibility
You will need to contact the Research School of Chemistry to request a permission code to enrol in this course.
Prescribed Texts
Recommended: Voet & Voet, Biochemistry (4th Ed.). How Proteins Work. M.P. Williamson.
Assumed Knowledge
This course requires second year (2000 level) knowledge of chemistry and biochemistry i.e. equivalent to the ANU courses CHEM2211 AND CHEM2208.
Second year (2000 level) training in synthetic chemistry is strongly recommended i.e. equivalent to the ANU courses CHEM2202.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
Commonwealth Support (CSP) Students
If you have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). More information about your student contribution amount for each course at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 2
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are a domestic graduate coursework student with a Domestic Tuition Fee (DTF) place or international student you will be required to pay course tuition fees (see below). Course tuition fees are indexed annually. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
Winter Session
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6414 | 01 Jul 2026 | TBA | TBA | 30 Sep 2026 | In Person | N/A |