BIOL 5102Structural Biology Seminar
Spring 2014
BIOL 5102
Structural Biology Seminar
Spring 2014
Instructor: Steven Vik
Office 236 DLS, (214) 768-4228
Class: Th 3:00-3:50 237 DLS
WWW: faculty.smu.edu/svik
Objectives:
This course seeks to examine historical aspects of the development of structural molecular biology, which is now an essential component of modern biology. Some technical aspects will be discussed, in order to understand the significant advances that were made. Human dimensions of some of the scientists involved will also be examined.
Students will be able to describe and analyze historical aspects of the history of structural molecular biology
Syllabus (pdf)
| Date |
Topics |
Readings | |
| Jan 23 | Introduction to the Class | ||
| Jan 30 | Early concepts of proteins | Ch. 2 | (A) |
| Feb 6 | Cyclol theory | Ch. 3 | (A,B,C,D,) |
| Feb 13 | Dorothy Wrinch, W.T. Atsbury | Ch. 3 | (E,F) What is a Snark? |
| Feb 20 | Helices, Pauling & Perutz | Ch. 4 | |
| Feb 27 | Continued, Pauling, Eisenberg | Ch. 4 | (D,E, F,G) |
| Mar 6 | Race for the DNA double helix, Chargaff rules, Triple helix by Pauling, Fraser | Ch. 5 | (A,B,C,D) |
| Mar 13 | Spring Break | ||
| Mar 20 | Diffraction of a helix by Watson, Crick, Wilkins, Franklin | Ch. 5 | (E,F,G) |
| Mar 27 | Publicity and Credit | Ch. 5 | (H,I,J,K) |
| Apr 3 | How to solve a protein structure |
Ch. 6 | (A,) |
| Apr 10 | Hemoglobin Abstracts, Myoglobin Structure | Ch. 6 | (B, C, I-IX) |
| Apr 17 | High Resolution Structures: Myoglobin, Hemoglobin | Ch. 6 | (A, B) |
| Apr 24 | No Class | ||
| May 1 | History, Art, Irving Geis | Ch. 7 | (C), Epilogue, Appendix 3: A,B |
| May 8, | Finals meeting at 1:00 PM, Paper due or email in advance | Discussion of papers |
The text for the course:
Present at the Flood: How Structural Molecular Biology Came About by Richard E. Dickerson
Sinauer Associates, Sunderland Mass. 2005 ISBN 0-87893-168-6
The text contains copies of the original articles that will be read and discussed.
Other Links:
The DNA Story videos
Bruce Fraser interview 2008
Comments/questions:email me
Copyright 2014, Steven B. Vik, Southern Methodist University