Metals in Biology and Medicine: Structure, Reactivity, Maintenance, and Utility

Transition metals play important roles in many key biological processes, from oxygen sensing and transport to chemical transformations critical for making DNA precursors. This course will focus on how metals in enzymes and proteins effect essential functions in biology and medicine. Emphasis is placed on examining how structures enable function, mechanisms of action, maintenance and homeostasis, and therapeutic or diagnostic opportunities. Using examples from the literature as case studies, students will engage in robust discussions that draw on principles from chemistry and biology. The course will appeal to anyone interested in working at the interface of these two disciplines.