COURSE SERIES
Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences

PHC 540 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences:
1 - Biophysical Approaches to Pharmaceutical Research

PHC 541 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences:
2 - Cell Culture Applications

PHC 542 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences:
3 - Quantitative RNA Approaches

Overview

The scientific advances of several disciplines (such as pharmaceutical analysis, cell and molecular biology) has heralded a broad array of new experimental techniques useful to interdisciplinary pharmaceutical research. Beginning masters and doctoral graduate students need to have sufficient theoretical and experiential knowledge of important techniques to fully participate in interdisciplinary research.

Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences, is an interdisplinary series of 1 credit courses, with each course focused on an introductory overview of selected contemporary techniques in the pharmaceutical sciences. The goal of offering several one credit courses relating to contemporary methods in pharmaceutical research is that students are provided with (i) a fundamental understanding of contemporary experimental approaches and techniques relevant to pharmaceutical research, and (ii) a flexible and individualized opportunity to learn various techniques according to their program of study. Each course consists of a combination of integrated lectures coupled with demonstrations or "hands-on" laboratory mini-experiments.

PHC 540 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences: 1 - Biophysical Approaches
2 credit

This course in an introduction to the biophysical approaches used in the pharmaceutical sciences. It will focus on both the physicochemical considerations involved in the use of proteins and peptides as drugs and vaccines, as well as the techniques for analysis.

Topics include protein and peptide formulation, with emphasis on the importance of maintaining protein structure/conformation, physical and chemical stability, and the role of lyophilization and cryoprotectants. The course will emphasize analytical methods to study chemical stability (amino acid sequencing, mass spectroscopy) and physical stability (aggregation and precipitation), along with physical methods to study physical stability (Circular Dichroism (CD), fluorescence), peptide conformation, and transport. Laboratory demonstrations will include exercises in protein formulation by lyophilization, and evaluation of physical stability using CD, fluorescence and turbidity measurements.

[PHC 540 Outline ]

PHC 541 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences: 2 - Cell Culture Applications
1 credit; Time to be announced
Topics include protein and peptide formulation, with emphasis on the This course is an introductory overview of selected cell culture techniques and pharmaceutical applications which represent important research and screening tools for pharmaceutical research.

Cell culture methods are increasingly employed as a research and/or screening tool in pharmaceutical research. A beginning student in the pharmaceutical sciences should have an intellectual appreciation and understanding for the versatility of cell culture approaches as applied to drug absorption, transport, receptor binding and signal transduction events.

[PHC 541 Outline]

PHC 542 Contemporary Methods in the Pharmaceutical Sciences: 3 - Quantitative RNA Approaches

1 credit;

This course is an introductory overview of quantitative RNA techniques which is important for pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic studies of gene expression and the influences of drug exposure on gene expression. A beginning student in the pharmaceutical sciences should have an intellectual appreciation and understanding of the principles of RNA isolation and quantitation.

[PHC 542 Outline]

[Back To Courses]

Pharmaceutics Home Page