Protein Chemistry, Master of Science

The programme deals with fundamentals in structural biology and biochemistry, with special focus on protein chemistry and biophysical methods for high resolution analytics. Fundamentals in thermodynamics, reaction kinetics, and theoretic aspects of molecular interactions are discussed. The students become familiar with biophysical methods allowing to delineate the structures of single cells down to single molecules. Examples include electromanipulation and dielectrical spectroscopy of cells, electrokinetic techniques, protein folding, single molecule fluorescence methodology, high resolution, and dynamic microscopy. Further topics are current approaches in bioinformatics, including the analysis of genomes and sequences, protein domains and protein families, further large-scale data analysis (e.g. next generation sequences, proteomics data), and the analysis of different functional RNAs (e.g. miRNAs, lncRNAs). Aspects of computational systems biology include functional genomics, dynamics of the transcriptome, of metabolism and metabolic networks as well as regulatory networks. The study programme in Protein Chemistry is a combination of A) protein chemistry including biophysical approaches and biochemistry and B) computational biology aspects including bioinformatics and systems biology. During the first year of the programme, the students enrol in two theoretical courses and one practical course in each of the two topics. All modules are accompanied by a graded examination. In semesters three and four, further specialised research training is provided in a selected field of interest. The students are actively involved in ongoing research projects. They learn to independently plan and perform both theoretical and experimental work and finally, to summarise and discuss the obtained results in their thesis. The thesis has to be presented and defended in a final colloquium. The thesis (25 ECTS) is preceded by an ungraded preparatory practical course of 12 weeks (15 ECTS). Further modules (15 ECTS) are selected within the sub-area "Additional Qualifications" to cover special aspects of interest. These modules will not be graded (pass/fail only). PDF Download