Chemistry 420 - Medicinal Chemistry

This course will focus on the fundamentals of medicinal chemistry, an organic-chemistry-based discipline that interfaces strongly with the biological and pharmaceutical sciences. Broadly, the field of medicinal chemistry is concerned with the discovery and preparation of biologically active compounds; the study of their metabolism; the interpretation of their mode of action at the molecular level; and the construction of structure-activity relationships. We will center our attention on the science of drug design, with an emphasis on the organic synthesis of viable drug candidates. The structure and function of macromolecular drug “targets” (e.g., receptors, enzymes, nucleic acids), as well as the mechanisms by which drugs interact with their targets, will also be considered. Furthermore, we will take into account the complexity of human physiology as we study the ways in which the physical and chemical properties of a drug candidate can influence its absorption, distribution, and metabolism in a human patient. Readings will be drawn from the primary scientific literature and case studies.  Students will be expected to participate actively in class discussions, to write, and to present their work to the class.

Requisite: CHEM 231. Fall semester.  STINT Fellow Sandström.