BL4216 Structure-based Drug Discovery

Academic year

2024 to 2025 Semester 1

Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.

Key module information

SCOTCAT credits

15

The Scottish Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SCOTCAT) system allows credits gained in Scotland to be transferred between institutions. The number of credits associated with a module gives an indication of the amount of learning effort required by the learner. European Credit Transfer System (ECTS) credits are half the value of SCOTCAT credits.

SCQF level

SCQF level 10

The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) provides an indication of the complexity of award qualifications and associated learning and operates on an ascending numeric scale from Levels 1-12 with SCQF Level 10 equating to a Scottish undergraduate Honours degree.

Availability restrictions

Not automatically available to General Degree students

Planned timetable

To be arranged.

This information is given as indicative. Timetable may change at short notice depending on room availability.

Module coordinator

Dr T M Gloster

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module Staff

Team taught

This information is given as indicative. Staff involved in a module may change at short notice depending on availability and circumstances.

Module description

The process of developing a new drug from conception to the clinic takes on average 15 years and costs over $800M. There are now many examples of drugs developed based on a knowledge of the three dimensional structure of the target, and all major pharmaceutical companies have structural biology as part of their core drug discovery programmes. Many drugs currently used to combat AIDS were developed from a detailed knowledge of key HIV proteins, as were the two drugs used for influenza. Most major pharmaceutical companies are targeting kinases in the search for new cancer therapies, with international efforts focusing on producing structural details of huge numbers of human kinases.This module will examine case studies of drugs that have been developed with the aid of structure-based methods.

Relationship to other modules

Pre-requisites

BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS BL2306 OR PASS BL3301 OR PASS BL3324

Assessment pattern

100% coursework

Re-assessment

100% coursework

Learning and teaching methods and delivery

Weekly contact

1 x 2-hour seminar (x 4 weeks) and 1 x 2-hour student presentations in teams representing imaginary drug companies (x 3 weeks).

Scheduled learning hours

14

The number of compulsory student:staff contact hours over the period of the module.

Guided independent study hours

136

The number of hours that students are expected to invest in independent study over the period of the module.

Intended learning outcomes

  • Recognise and describe the steps involved in developing a new drug and getting the new drug to the market
  • Appreciate the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) and issues such as protecting inventions through patents
  • Assess drug design strategies
  • Identify a disease in need of drug development
  • Select a drug design strategy for an identified disease and develop a marketing strategy for this novel drug