Enzymes

Enzymes is a Natural Science class taught by Rayane Moreira.

Course Description
In this course we will explore the fundamentals of catalysis and how they manifest in enzymatic systems. We will use nature's "simplest" catalyst-the proton-to examine the physical principles of catalysis, followed by iron as a "simple" redox catalyst. These two models will be used to address the similarities and differences between homogeneous chemical catalysis and enzymes, including their substrate specificity, regio- and stereoselectivity, and enormous rate accelerations. After a unit on enzyme kinetics, we will proceed to examine some particularly important enzymes and enzymatic systems. We will start with some well-studied systems, such as the serine proteases, alcohol dehyrogenase, and cytochrome P450; and finally we will compare these with some enzymes and enzyme complexes of particular biological and environmental interest, such Methane Monooxygenase, Rubisco, Photosystem II, and ATP Synthase. Prerequisite: Organic Chemistry I.