2013-2014 Course Catalog

Biochemistry

Bruce E. Bowler, Program Director

The Biochemistry Program is a joint program between the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Division of Biological Sciences.  Biochemistry is an interdisciplinary science that integrates chemistry and biology to understand the molecular basis of life.  The program offers a B.S. in Biochemistry and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biochemistry & Biophysics.

Undergraduate majors receive a solid foundation in both chemistry and biology. Biochemistry courses are usually taken in the junior year allowing majors to become involved in research with faculty and to take electives in their senior year. The major also introduces students to computer science and bioinformatics, essential tools in modern biochemistry. The B.S. in Biochemistry prepares students for advanced degrees in biochemistry or biophysics, for medical, dental or veterinary schools and for careers in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. A Health Professions option is also offered within the B.S. in Biochemistry for students whose career goals are in fields related to biochemistry.  This option allows more flexibility in upper division electives, permitting students to tailor the degree to their needs.

The graduate degrees in Biochemistry & Biophysics prepare students to be independent researchers in academic laboratories or in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries. Through coursework and independent research, graduate students in this program will become adept at the physical and structural methods necessary to probe important problems in the life sciences at the molecular level. In collaboration with the Center for Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics, the Biochemistry Program provides state-of-the-art facilities for research in biochemistry, biophysics and structural biology.

Prospective students desiring further information on these degrees should contact the Program Director by visiting the Biochemistry Program web site:  http://www.cas.umt.edu/chemistry/biochemistryProgram/.

High School Preparation: In addition to the general University admission requirements, it is strongly recommended that a student take four years of mathematics, four years of science, and a foreign language.

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry

• CHMY 141N-143N (CHEM 161N-162N); College Chemistry I & II + Lab - 10 cr.
• CHMY 221-224 (CHEM 221-224); Organic Chemistry I & II + Lab - 10 cr.
• CHMY 225 (CHEM 264); Organic Majors Lab may be substituted for CHMY 224 (CHEM 224)
• CHMY 311-421 (CHEM 341-342); Quantitative Analysis and Instrumental Methods - 8 cr.
• CHMY 360 (CHEM 370); Applied Physical Chemistry - 3 cr.
• CHMY 373 (CHEM 371); Phys Chem-Kntcs & Thrmdynmcs may be substituted for CHMY 360 (CHEM 370). Students planning to attend graduate school in biochemistry or biophysics are strongly advised to take the CHMY 373-371 sequence.               
• CHMY 401 (CHEM 452); Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - 3 cr.
• BCH 110-111 (BIOC 110-111); Biochemistry of Life + Lab - 4 cr.
• BCH 294 (BIOC 210); Introductory Biochemistry Seminar - 1 cr.
• BCH 480-482 (BIOC 481-482); Advanced Biochemistry I & II - 6 cr.
• BCH 486 (BIOC 486); Biochemistry Research Laboratory - 3 cr.      
• BIOB 260 (BIOL 221); Cellular and Molecular Biology - 4 cr.
• BIOB 272 (BIOL 223); Genetics and Evolution - 4 cr.
• BIOB 425 (BIOL 464); Advanced Cellular and Molecular Biology - 3 cr.
• M 171-172 (MATH 152-153); Calculus I & II - 8 cr.
• PHSX 215N/216N and 217N/218N (PHYS 211N/213N and 212N/214N); Fundamentals of Physics with Calculus I & II + Lab - 10 cr.
• CSCI 250 (CS 177); Computer Modeling for Science Majors - 3 cr.
• CSCI 451 (CS 458); Computational Biology - 3 cr.

13 credits of electives from BCH 490¹ (BIOC 497); BIOB 301, 375, 410, 411, 440, 486, 490¹ (BIOL 301, MICB 410, 411, BIOL 440, 490); BIOH 345, 360, 365, 370, 405, 462 (BIOL 313, 345, 312, 347, 460, MICB 309); BIOM 360, 361, 400, 410, 411, 427, 428, 435 (MICB 300, 301, 302, 404, 405, 420; BIOL 400, 401); PHAR 347, 421, 422 (BMED 347, 421, 422); CHMY 371, 397¹, 402, 403, 442, 465, 466, 485, 490,¹ 494,¹ 498¹ (CHEM 372, 380, 453, 455, 442, 465, 466, 485, 489, 498).

 ¹No more that 3 credits combined of BCH 490 (BIOC 497), CHMY 490, 498 (CHEM 489, 498) or BCH 490 (BIOC 497) and no more than 3 credits of CHMY 397/494 may be counted toward the 13 credit elective requirement.

For Group I of the General Education requirements (English Writing Skills), all students must complete WRIT 101 (ENEX 101), a lower division writing course, an upper division writing course, and need to obtain a score of 3 or better on the WPA exam. The upper division requirement will be satisfied by BCH 482 (BIOC 482) (1/3 of requirement) and BCH 486 (BIOC 486) (2/3 of requirement).

 Group II of the General Education requirement (Mathematics) is fulfilled by M 171 (MATH 152).

 The Foreign Language/Symbolic Systems requirement (Group III of the General Education Requirement) is fulfilled by M 171 (MATH 152).

All students must complete 27 credit hours from groups IV to XI of the General Education requirement to graduate (CHMY 141N-143N (CHEM 161N- 162N) counts as the 6 credit group XI requirement). One of these courses should be an approved lower division writing course.

Credits to Graduate:

Required courses:         83

Elective courses:           13

General education:¹      21

WRIT 101 (ENEX 101):   3

   Total:                          120

¹Groups IV to X account for 21 credit hours.

Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry:  Health Professions Option

• CHMY 141N-143N; (CHEM 161N-162N) College Chemistry I & II + Lab - 10 cr.
• CHMY 221-224 (CHEM 221-224); Organic Chemistry I & II + Lab - 10 cr.
• CHMY 225 (CHEM 264); Organic Majors Lab may be substituted for CHMY 224 (CHEM 224)
• CHMY 302E (CHEM 334); Chem. Lit and Science Writing - 3 cr.
• CHMY 311-421; (CHEM 341-342) Quantitative Analysis and Instrumental Methods - 8 cr.
• CHMY 360 (CHEM 370); Applied Physical Chemistry - 3 cr.
• CHMY 373 (CHEM 371); Phys Chem-Kntcs & Thrmdynmcs may be substituted for CHMY 360 (CHEM 370)        
• CHMY 401 (CHEM  452); Advanced Inorganic Chemistry - 3 cr.
• BCH 110-111 (BIOC 110-111); Biochemistry of Life + Lab - 4 cr.
• BCH 294 (BIOC 210); Introductory Biochemistry Seminar - 1 cr.
• BCH 480-482 (BIOC 481-482); Advanced Biochemistry I & II - 6 cr.
• BIOB 260 (BIOL 221); Cellular and Molecular Biology - 4 cr.
• BIOB 272 (BIOL 223); Genetics and Evolution - 4 cr.
• BIOM 360/361 (MICB 300/301); General Microbiology + Lab - 5 cr.
• M 162 (MATH 150); Applied Calculus - 4 cr.
• M 274 (MATH 158); Intro to Differential Equations - 3 cr.
• PHSX 205N/206N-207N/208N (PHYS 111N/113N-112N/114N);  College Physics I&II + Lab - 10 cr.
• 23 credits of electives from BCH 486, 490¹ (BIOC 486, 497); BIOB 301, 375, 410, 411, 425, 440, 486, 490¹ (BIOL 301, MICB 410, 411, BIOL 464, 440, 490); BIOH 345, 360, 365, 370, 405, 462 (BIOL 312, 313, 345, 347, 460, MICB 309); BIOM 400, 410, 411, 427, 428, 435 (MICB 302, 404, 405, BIOL 400, 401, MICB 420); PHAR 347, 421, 422 (BMED 347, 421, 422); CHMY 371, 397, 402, 403, 442, 465, 466, 485, 490,¹ 494,¹ 498¹ (CHEM 372, 380, 453, 455, 442, 465, 466, 485, 489, 498).
  • ¹No more that 3 credits combined of BIOB 490 (BIOL 497), CHMY 490, 498 (CHEM 489, 498) or BCH 490 (BIOC 497) and no more than 3 credits of CHMY 397/494 may be counted toward the 23 credit elective requirement.

• For Group I of the General Education requirements (English Writing Skills), all students must complete WRIT 101 (ENEX 101), a lower division writing course, an upper division writing course, and need to obtain a score of 3 or better on the WPA exam. CHMY 302E (CHEM 334) is the formal requirement to satisfy the upper division requirement in this option. It can also be satisfied by taking the following combinations of required and elective courses: BCH 482 (BIOC 482) (1/3 of requirement), and BCH 486 (BIOC 486) (2/3 of requirement); BCH 482 (BIOC 482) or BIOB 410 ( MICB 410) (1/3 of requirement) and BIOM 410 or BIOB 411 (MICB 404 or MICB 411) (2/3 of requirement).  

  Group II of the General Education requirement (Mathematics) is fulfilled by M 162 (MATH 150).

  The Foreign Language/Symbolic Systems requirement (Group III of the General Education Requirement) is fulfilled by M 162 (MATH 150).

  All students must complete 27 credit hours from groups IV to XI of the General Education requirement to graduate (CHMY 141N-143N (CHEM 161N-162N) counts as the 6 credit group XI requirement;  If CHMY 302E (CHEM 334) is taken to satisfy the upper division writing requirement it also satisfies the group VIII requirement). One of these courses should be an approved lower division writing course.

  Credits to Graduate:

  Required courses:         78

  Elective courses:           21

  General education:¹      18

  WRIT 101 (ENEX 101):    3

      Total:                           120

  ¹Groups IV to VII, IX and X account for 18 credit hours, assuming CHMY 302E is used for group VIII. 

Suggested Course of Study for B.S. Degree in Biochemistry

Suggested Course of Study for B.S. Degree in Biochemistry: Health Professions Option

Courses

R- before the course description indicates the course may be repeated for credit to the maximum indicated after the R. Credits beyond this maximum do not count toward a degree.

Biochemistry (BCH) - Course Descriptions

110, 111,294, 380, 480, 482, 486, 490, 491, 499, 547, 561, 562, 570, 581, 582, 584, 594, 595, 597, 599, 600, 685, 694, 699

Faculty

Professors:

Bruce E. Bowler (Director), Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1986

J. Stephen Lodmell, Division of Biological Sciences, Ph.D., Brown University, 1996

J.B.A. (Sandy) Ross, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D., University of Washington, 1976

D. Scott Samuels, Division of Biological Sciences, Ph.D., University of Arizona, 1991

Stephen R. Sprang, Division of Biological Sciences, Ph.D., University of Wisconsin, Madison, 1977

Kent D. Sugden, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D, Montana State University, 1992

Associate Professor:

Michele A. McGuirl, Division of Biological Sciences, Ph.D., Montana State University, 1999

Klara Briknarova, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, 1999

Assistant Professors:

Doug Raiford, Computer Science, Ph.D., Wright State University, Dayton, Ohio, 2008

Brent Ryckman, Division of Biological Sciences, Ph.D., University of Iowa, 2003

Valeriy Smirnov, Chemistry & Biochemistry, Ph.D., University of Nebraska, 2004