MOLECULAR APPROACHES IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
- Course
- PSCI611 - MOLECULAR APPROACHES IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
- Department
- Pharmaceutical Sciences - English - PhD
- Course Type
- Course
- Status
- Required
- Language
- English
- Credit
- 3
- ECTS
- 8
- T+P+L
- 3 + 0 + 0
- Course Coordinator(s)
- Asst. Prof. Dr. Mohammed T. N. QAOUD
- Prerequisite
- -
Course Description
The research methods course introduces student to principal and modern concepts of research. This course helps the student to build an analytical and systematic link between theory and practice. Students will be able to develop skills in carrying out literature search using electronic databases, catalogues and print media using proper referencing methods, conduct preliminary literature review, familiarize in experimental methods as well as practice analyzing and interpreting data. Students are expected to recognise the significance of technological innovations, professional and ethical responsibilities in research. Students will be able to analyze and present research results in writing and in oral presentations as well as understanding scope and limits of qualitative and qualitative research methodologies.
MOLECULAR APPROACHES IN PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
Evaluation Tools (Active Term)
| Item | Type | Weight (%) |
|---|---|---|
| PSCI611-Presentation | Presentation | 40 |
| PSCI-Final Exam | Final | 60 |
| Total | 100 | |
Course outcomes
- 01 Analyze and Present Scientific Articles
- 02 Carrying out Experimental Science
- 03 Apply and Explain Basic Molecular Sciences (intro)
- 04 Apply and Explain Techniques in Molecular Biology
- 05 Apply and ExplainTechniques in Protein Analysis
- 06 Evaluate scientific articles critically
- 07 Evaluate Antibody Therapeutics and Design
Course Syllabus
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| Week 1 | Critically evaluate the fundamental principles of pharmacodynamics and analyze the relationships among drug concentration, molecular targets, receptor interactions, dose–response relationships, efficacy, potency, selectivity, and therapeutic effects. |
| Week 2 | Critically evaluate the principles of pharmacokinetics and analyze how absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion influence drug exposure, bioavailability, clearance, half-life, drug interactions, and therapeutic outcomes. |
| Week 3 | Analyze the molecular mechanisms of action of antibiotic drugs and critically evaluate the relationships among chemical structure, molecular targets, antibacterial activity, resistance mechanisms, and therapeutic efficacy. |
| Week 4 | Analyze the molecular mechanisms of anticancer drugs and critically evaluate how drug structures, molecular targets, signaling pathways, selectivity, resistance, and cellular responses contribute to anticancer efficacy and toxicity. |
| Week 5 | Apply chemoinformatics and computer-aided drug design approaches to pharmaceutical research, including molecular representation, molecular descriptors, similarity analysis, virtual screening, molecular docking, and structure–activity relationship analysis. |
| Week 6 | Critically evaluate the role of molecular interactions in drug action, including hydrogen bonding, ionic interactions, hydrophobic interactions, van der Waals forces, π-interactions, and conformational complementarity, and relate these interactions to ligand affinity and selectivity. |
| Week 7 | Evaluate contemporary approaches to structure–activity relationship (SAR) analysis and molecular optimization, and critically assess how chemical modifications influence potency, selectivity, physicochemical properties, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics. |
| Week 8 | Critically analyze drug discovery strategies and lead optimization approaches, including hit identification, lead generation, pharmacophore-based approaches, fragment-based drug discovery, and rational drug design. |
| Week 9 | Prepare a scientific presentation on a selected contemporary or emerging topic in pharmaceutical chemistry by conducting an independent literature search and identifying relevant and recent scientific publications. |
| Week 10 | Prepare a scientific presentation based on selected research papers in pharmaceutical chemistry by critically evaluating their scientific rationale, methodologies, findings, molecular mechanisms, strengths, and limitations. |
| Week 11 | Prepare a scientific presentation by synthesizing information from multiple scientific publications to provide a comprehensive and evidence-based analysis of a selected pharmaceutical chemistry topic and identify current knowledge gaps and research challenges. |
| Week 12 | Prepare a scientific presentation on an advanced pharmaceutical chemistry topic by integrating chemical, molecular, pharmacological, computational, and/or experimental evidence from current scientific literature. |
| Week 13 | Prepare and deliver a scientific presentation on a selected pharmaceutical chemistry topic and demonstrate the ability to interpret scientific findings, communicate complex concepts clearly, and respond appropriately to scientific questions and discussion. |
| Week 14 | Prepare and deliver a scientific presentation addressing the future perspectives of a selected pharmaceutical chemistry topic, critically discussing current limitations, unresolved questions, emerging approaches, and potential future research directions. |
| Week 15 | Final Exam |
Reference Books & Course Materials
- 01 Scientific Articles
- 02 Current Lieterature
Learning Outcomes
No learning outcomes have been defined.
Program Outcomes
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Po-Lo Matrix
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