Ateneo - UPO

Physico-chemical and reactivity properties of carbohydrates, amino acids and peptides, lipids and nucleic acids. Modification of their structures and synthesis of their oligomers. Enzymes and enzymatic catalysis. Non-covalent interactions with molecular and macromolecular species. Use as raw material for the preparation of chemical products.

Text used for the first year Organic Chemistry course. Material provided by the teacher.
J. McMurry, T. Begley. Chimica bio-organica. Zanichelli, 2007

The course provides the students with the knowledge of organic chemistry applied to biological molecules organized by type of compounds: sugars, amino acids, peptides, nucleotides, heterocycles, fats and steroids, proteins and enzymes.

Contents of the first year Organic Chemistry course.

The course is based on classroom lectures, powerpoint presentations and guided explanations. The slides used during the lessons will be provided to the students through the D.I.R. platform.

The teacher is available to the student for any clarification or explanation of the topics covered during the course.

Oral exam. The final grade is formulated by the teacher by assessing the student's overall ability to organize and present their answer in a concise, exhaustive and effective way and to have acquired the appropriate terminology (ability to learn).Excellence can be achieved by demonstrating a strong ability to link-compare themes developed at different times during the course (independent judgment).

Review of basic organic chemistry: stereoisomerism, resonance, and acidity. Importance of chirality in biological systems. Aromatic compounds and electronic delocalization. Aromatic heterocyclic and heterocyclic compounds. Pyrrole, thiophene, furan, pyridine, quinoline, isoquinoline, imidazole, pyrimidines and purines.Intermolecular forces and their importance in the assembly of biological molecules and in the interactions between biomolecules and other substances.Amino acids and their side chains. Basicity and acidity of the ionizable groups in the side chains. pKa and isoelectric point of amino acids. Peptides and peptide synthesis, uses and applications. Protective groups of amines, acids and alcohols: insertion and removal. Solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS): polymeric supports and spacers. Modification of peptides.Structure of polynucleotides. Chemical stability of DNA and RNA to hydrolysis. The chemical reactivity of DNA. Modified nucleic acids. Peptido-nucleic acids (PNA) and their DNA recognition properties.Carbohydrates. Monosaccharides. Structure, properties, and nomenclature. Anomeric effect. Oxidation and reduction reactions. Glycosylation reactions. Synthesis of oligosaccharides and glycoconjugates on solid phase. Synthesis of glycosidic clusters and the concept of multivalence. Carbohydrates as raw material for fine chemicals.

At the end of the course, students should be able to understand in a more in-depth and adequate way the structure and function of the main biological molecules and their ability to coordinate with each other in biological systems; apply the principles of synthetic chemistry to the preparation of biomolecules; understand the basic concepts on interactions between biomolecules, on enzymes and their use in organic synthesis reactions. Furthermore, they will have acquired a basic knowledge of synthetic but also diagnostic and therapeutic applications of peptides, oligonucleotides, saccharides and modified synthetic lipids.They will possess the ability to present their knowledge in a clear and orderly manner, with appropriate scientific language and with rigorous arguments.