Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, any references to assessment tasks and on-campus delivery may no longer be up-to-date on this page.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Unit convenor and teaching staff |
Unit convenor and teaching staff
Unit Convenor
Peter Karuso
Contact via 8290
4WW 232
Friday 2-6 PM
Joanne Jamie
Contact via 8283
4WW 231
Andrew Piggott
Contact via 8251
4WW 334
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Credit points |
Credit points
10
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Prerequisites |
Prerequisites
(Admission to GradDipBiotech or GradCertLabAQMgt or GradDipLabAQMgt or MBiotech or MBioBus or MLabAQMgt or MRadiopharmSc or MSc or MScInnovChemBioSc) and permission by special approval
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Corequisites |
Corequisites
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Co-badged status |
Co-badged status
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Unit description |
Unit description
Medicinal chemistry is the application of chemistry to the discovery, design and synthesis of new drugs. This unit is of value to all molecular sciences and medical sciences students. The central core of the unit is the description of methods used for the discovery of new drugs, how these are modified to produce more active compounds, transportation to and from their points of action and how they are cleared from the body. Topics include: the structure and function of biological targets (proteins and DNA); sources of new drugs from nature; and lead generation and methods of lead modification to make more active, selective or less toxic drugs. This is followed by a study of structure-activity relationship methods; pharmacokinetics, drug metabolism and prodrugs, and chemical genetics. Case studies are also provided, including antibacterial and anticancer agents, and nucleic acid therapies. The theory is complemented by a discovery-based laboratory project incorporating synthetic chemistry, spectroscopic methods, bioassays and computational chemistry to elucidate the essential structural features necessary for the sulfonamide class of antibacterial agents.
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Information about important academic dates including deadlines for withdrawing from units are available at https://www.mq.edu.au/study/calendar-of-dates
On successful completion of this unit, you will be able to:
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Assessment details are no longer provided here as a result of changes due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
Students should consult iLearn for revised unit information.
Find out more about the Coronavirus (COVID-19) and potential impacts on staff and students
Due: April 7
Weighting: 0%
All students are required to undertake the Kahn Academy course on spectroscopy before week 7
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/organic-chemistry/spectro scopy-jay.
Due: Week 1, Week 7, Week 14
Weighting: 25%
The practical work (synthesis and antibacterial structure activity relationship of sulfonamides) will be conducted in groups, with ~6 people per group.
Full details on what is expected for assessment of the practical component is provided in the laboratory manual and on the web site (see under “Laboratory Notes”).
Due: April 28
Weighting: 15%
There will be a 50 minute test (/15%) in Week 8, Tuesday May 28, 8 AM in the lecture session. This will cover up to the end of prodrugs. This is designed to give you specific feedback on your understanding of the topics up to this stage to assist you in your further study of the unit.
Due: in lectures and online
Weighting: 5%
Short quizzes (/5%) may be conducted at any time. Quizzes will also be conducted online. They are to allow identification of any deficiency in knowledge and understanding and to encourage continuous learning of the lecture material without the stress of a significant assessment component. Quizzes may contain questions from the spectroscopy workshop.
Due: May 12
Weighting: 5%
You will present a written report on a clinically relevant pharmaceutical agent, providing information on its structure and function at a molecular level. This is due in the week 10, May 12 by 8 AM. This will help in your consolidation of the medicinal chemistry concepts taught. The format is 2000 word essay, not including figures, tables or references. All work must be submitted through turnitin. This assignment is designed to provide skills in searching the literature, scientific writing, and understanding the properties of the pharmaceutical agent from a molecular point of view.
Due: week 15 (to be confirmed)
Weighting: 50%
The final exam (/50%) will be 3 hours in length with 10 minutes reading time. It is designed to assess specific understanding and holistic concepts of all the topics presented within the course and an opportunity for you to show what knowledge you have obtained and how you can apply this in new situations to solve complex problems.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
Any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19.
Please check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
The web page for this unit can be found at ilearn.mq.edu.au.
Just login and follow the prompts to CHEM3801/6801 Medicinal Chemistry.
You can use any web browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari to login.
iLearn is the name for Macquarie University’s Learning Management System (LMS). The iLearn online learning environment enables learning, teaching, communication and collaboration. It is used to make lecture notes, laboratory notes, discussion forums, digital lecture recordings and other learning resources available to students online.
CHEM6801 is a 10 credit point unit and will require an average of 10 hours of work (contact and self study time) per week over the 15 weeks. For students with weak chemistry backgrounds, more time per week will probably be necessary to perform satisfactorily in this unit. CHEM6801 is run with three hours of lectures/tutorials per week, along with 4 hour blocks of laboratories/workshops. Students are expected to attend all lectures, tutorials and laboratory classes. Active participation by the students in all of these fora is encouraged.
Further information on technology used: You are expected to access the unit web site frequently This contains important information including notes on the topics to be covered; the laboratory manual; What You Need to Know Sheets; your marks for practicals, quizzes and the mid-session exam; and past exam papers, including with answers. Additionally, the web site will also be used to post important messages and links to internet facilities and sites of relevance to the course, downloadable software, and lots of other interesting material.
All students are required to undertake the Kahn Academy course on spectroscopy before the end of the mid-semester break https://www.khanacademy.org/science/organic-chemistry/spectroscopy-jay. There are also resources in the library (PDF file in special reserve to help you with this.
If you do not have your own computer you may wish to access the Medicinal Chemistry web resources on campus using the PC computers in the Library or in the computer laboratories in 17 Wally's Walk. To view notes on all the topics and past exams on the unit web site, you will require Adobe Acrobat Reader Version 10 or later to be installed on your computer. Acrobat Reader can be downloaded from the Adobe web site https://get.adobe.com/reader/?loc=uk. If you are using the computers in the library, then Acrobat has already been installed. Please note information will also be sent by email to your student email account so please look at your email account on a frequent basis.
You are expected to access SciFinder Scholar and Reaxys to assist in searching the literature. These are available through the library web site.
Hand-held calculators will be occasionally used in tutorials and practicals, for tests and in the final examination. Note that text-retrieval calculators are not allowed in the in-semester tests or final examination.
Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update
The unit schedule/topics and any references to on-campus delivery below may no longer be relevant due to COVID-19. Please consult iLearn for latest details, and check here for updated delivery information: https://ask.mq.edu.au/account/pub/display/unit_status
Macquarie University policies and procedures are accessible from Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central). Students should be aware of the following policies in particular with regard to Learning and Teaching:
Students seeking more policy resources can visit the Student Policy Gateway (https://students.mq.edu.au/support/study/student-policy-gateway). It is your one-stop-shop for the key policies you need to know about throughout your undergraduate student journey.
If you would like to see all the policies relevant to Learning and Teaching visit Policy Central (https://staff.mq.edu.au/work/strategy-planning-and-governance/university-policies-and-procedures/policy-central).
Macquarie University students have a responsibility to be familiar with the Student Code of Conduct: https://students.mq.edu.au/study/getting-started/student-conduct
Results published on platform other than eStudent, (eg. iLearn, Coursera etc.) or released directly by your Unit Convenor, are not confirmed as they are subject to final approval by the University. Once approved, final results will be sent to your student email address and will be made available in eStudent. For more information visit ask.mq.edu.au or if you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
Macquarie University provides a range of support services for students. For details, visit http://students.mq.edu.au/support/
Learning Skills (mq.edu.au/learningskills) provides academic writing resources and study strategies to help you improve your marks and take control of your study.
The Library provides online and face to face support to help you find and use relevant information resources.
Students with a disability are encouraged to contact the Disability Service who can provide appropriate help with any issues that arise during their studies.
For all student enquiries, visit Student Connect at ask.mq.edu.au
If you are a Global MBA student contact globalmba.support@mq.edu.au
For help with University computer systems and technology, visit http://www.mq.edu.au/about_us/offices_and_units/information_technology/help/.
When using the University's IT, you must adhere to the Acceptable Use of IT Resources Policy. The policy applies to all who connect to the MQ network including students.
mid-semester test has been moved to an earlier date (April 28, the first day back after Easter break)
new topic on antiviral prodrugs has been added
The in-lecture discussions of the lab reports has ben replaced with new lectures from AP
Date | Description |
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15/02/2020 | ULOs added to midsemester test |