Admission requirements
Elective course in MSc Life Science and Technology, MSc Chemistry.
Students with a BSc degree in LST, MST, or BSc degree in Biology/Chemistry or equivalent can enroll in this course. It is recommended to have a basic understanding of biochemistry.
Description
Alternative title for the course:
X-Ray Crystallography: From Fundamentals to Applications in Biomedical Research.
Proteins are the workhorses of the human body, orchestrating a myriad of functions essential for life. They enable movement, thought, immune responses, regulate heartbeats, and even facilitate digestion. Understanding their structure has been crucial in developing therapeutics for diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. Additionally, proteins in pathogens have been key targets, leading to the development of medications against HIV, influenza, and malaria.
X-ray crystallography is currently the most effective method for structure-based drug design. This course introduces the fundamental principles of X-ray crystallography through a blend of lectures and hands-on practical exercises. Students will gain practical experience in protein crystallization and structure determination. In student seminars, we will discuss the mode of action of therapeutics targeting diseases like cancer, diabetes, and infections. Through this course, students will develop a robust understanding of X-ray crystallography and its applications in modern biomedical research.
Course Objectives
Students will learn to:
Set up protein crystallization experiments
Process diffraction data
Perform structure modeling and refinement of proteins and protein-small molecule complexes
Validate the quality of X-ray structures
Create figures and animations for publications
Analyze and present the mode of action of therapeutics against various diseases in literature seminars
Timetable
Schedule information can be found on the website of the programmes.
You will find the timetables for all courses and degree programmes of Leiden University in the tool MyTimetable (login). Any teaching activities that you have sucessfully registered for in MyStudyMap will automatically be displayed in MyTimeTable. Any timetables that you add manually, will be saved and automatically displayed the next time you sign in.
MyTimetable allows you to integrate your timetable with your calendar apps such as Outlook, Google Calendar, Apple Calendar and other calendar apps on your smartphone. Any timetable changes will be automatically synced with your calendar. If you wish, you can also receive an email notification of the change. You can turn notifications on in ‘Settings’ (after login).
For more information, watch the video or go the the 'help-page' in MyTimetable.
Mode of Instruction
Lecture, seminar, practical exercises
Assessment method
Students will be evaluated based on a final exam and their presentations in the student seminars, where they will discuss structural biology publications related to disease-relevant topics.
Reading list
It is recommended to revisit and further explore the course content by reading “Biomolecular Crystallography – Bernhard Rupp – 1st edition – ISBN: 978-0-8153-4081-2”.
Registration
Every student has to register for courses with the enrollment tool MyStudyMap. There are two registration periods per year: registration for the fall semester opens in July and registration for the spring semester opens in December. Please see this page for more information.
Please note that it is compulsory to register your participation for every exam and retake. Not being registered for a course means that you are not allowed to participate in the final exam of the course.
Extensive FAQ's on MyStudymap can be found here.
Contact
Dr. S.R.J. Geibel, Dr. S. Brünle
Remarks
According to OER article 4.8, students are entitled to view their marked examination for a period of 30 days following the publication of the results of a written examination. Students should contact the lecturer to make an appointment for such an inspection session.