Chemical Biology

AY2016/2017 Semester 2

This course focuses on enzyme function and chemical biology of natural product biosynthesis. In the first half, we will introduce the fundamental principles underlying the function of enzymes with emphasis on the mechanisms used by enzymes to catalyze chemical transformations. In the second half, we will focus on the biosynthetic mechanism of several important classes of natural products. We will illustrate the emerging themes in natural product biosynthesis and highlight the discovery of new chemistry and enzymes using modern recombinant DNA and genomics approaches. Overall, the course emphasizes fundamental concepts, enzymatic mechanism, structure-function relationship and biotechnological applications.