BIOPOLYMERS

The program is divided into the following points:
1) Polypeptides and protein macromolecules.
Chemistry and stereochemistry of peptide residues. Concepts of primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure. Sequencing and synthesis of polypeptides. Description of various types of ordered conformations of polypeptide chains. Outline of predictive methods of secondary and tertiary structures. Conformational analysis and forces that determine the structure of peptides and proteins.
2) Polynucleotides
Chemistry and stereochemistry of nucleotides. Typical properties of purine and pyrimidine bases and their derivatives. Primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structures of nucleic acids. Structural differences between DNA and RNA. Conformational analysis and forces that determine the structure of nucleic acids. Sequencing and chemical synthesis of oligonucleotides.
3) Industrial production of proteins
PCR. Main molecular biology techniques for the production of proteins. Industrial applications.
4) Polysaccharides
Chemistry and stereochemistry of structural units of polysaccharides. Structures of monosaccharides, disaccharides, homopolysaccharides, heteropolysaccharides. Mention of the structure of some peptidoglycan.
5) Industrial Biopolymers
Biomass. Concept of Biorefineries. Production of energy and chemicals from biomass.
Modified polysaccharides in the food industry.
Modified polysaccharides and plastics: blends of starch and synthetic polymers, acidic polysaccharides, cellulose, chitin, chitosan.
Development and production of polymers from renewable sources. Derivatives of vegetable oils. Polyhydroxyalkanoates. PLA. Protein derivatives.
Biocompatible polymers. Hyaluronic acid and derivatives. Polymeric biomaterials.
6) Analytical techniques for the study of the structural properties of biopolymers.
Characterization and separation of biopolymers on the basis of their hydrodynamic properties: ultracentrifugation, electrophoresis, light scattering, size exclusion chromatography.
Spectroscopy applied to the study of biopolymers: UV-Vis, circular dichroism, IR, fluorescence, MS.