BCEM 4210

(3 Credits) 3 Lecture hours This course examines various methods and their limitations used to determine the atomic-level, three-dimensional structures of biological molecules and assemblies. It will also describe how these detailed structures reveal the chemical and physical mechanism through which these macromolecules accomplish their critical tasks. Both historic and current examples will be used to highlight these approaches and their resulting insights, such as in the area of enzyme catalysis. Students will also explore these structures on their own using various computational tools.