Techniques in Chemical Biology

Module code: CH4211

This module introduces you to the molecular tools and techniques used to study and manipulate biological systems. The module covers fundamental methods in molecular and structural biology, including recombinant protein production, biophysical characterisation, imaging and protein interaction analysis. You will then explore chemical protein modification, bioorthogonal chemistry, protein engineering, mutagenesis and directed evolution, before moving on to molecular probes, sensors and diagnostic technologies.

Through lectures and workshops, you’ll learn how chemical biology approaches can be used to investigate protein function, design molecular probes, detect biologically important species and develop new diagnostic tools. The module emphasises the selection of appropriate experimental methods, interpretation of data, and the application of chemical principles to contemporary biological research problems.