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Methods in Tissue Culture

Students are taught how to manage the laboratory work areas and equipment such as laminar flow hoods, CO2 incubators, microscopes, preservations and storage vessels. The course also emphasises on important aspects of culture practices including tissue culture laboratory management and safety; the sterilisation: of tools, vessels and chemicals. The handling of cultures: cell, tissue, and organ, types of cells grown in culture, media preparation for plant and animal cultures, tissue culture, exchange of germplasms. Importance of tissue culture in agriculture and medicine will be discussed.

Course Code: 
BCH 412
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 400
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Clinical Biochemistry

This course is concerned with the study of biochemical changes in human body under pathological conditions. It emphasises the biochemical basis of disorders such as acid / base imbalance and the abnormal metabolism of carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, amino acids, nucleic acids, bile pigments, vitamins and hormones. Inherited disorders in metabolism, the role of enzyme levels in prognosis of biochemical dysfunctions are major component of the course. Quality Assurance in clinical laboratory, organ (Liver, kidney, heart, pancreas, GIT etc) tests, the meaning and interpretation of findings both traditional and functional will be discussed.

Course Code: 
BCH 407
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 400
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Integration and Control of Metabolism

Lectures emphasize the controls of the metabolism of the cell as well as the integration of the various pathways associated with the energy metabolism of the cell. Substrate and enzyme limited reactions, general aspects of metabolic control and the concept of coarse and fine controls of metabolism will be some of the key areas of discussion. 

Course Code: 
BCH 405
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 400
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Plant Biochemistry

The course covers the synthesis, storage and functional properties of the primary plant products. The focus is mainly on photosynthesis; the chloroplast structure, the light harvesting systems of Photosystem I & Photosystem II, cyclic and non-cyclic photophosphrylation for the synthesis of ATP and reducing equivalents, the fixation of carbon dioxide in the Calvin Benson cycle of Carbon-3 & Carbon-4 plants. Other topics include the role of RUBISCO in Calvin cycle, the regulation of sucrose and starch synthesis, the synthesis of structural molecules such as cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins and lipids, glucose synthesis and its effect on glycolysis, Krebs cycle and gluconeogenesis in plant. Mineral and nitrogen metabolism will also be discussed.

Course Code: 
BCH 404
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 400
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Research Methods for Biochemists

The course exposes students to the processes involved in the scientific method of investigation. There will be exercises in observational skills, making enquiries, formulation of hypotheses, and experimental designs in biological techniques, data acquisition, analysis and scientific presentation. Students will be taught how to do scientific presentations-oral and written. Students will be required to do literature review on specific topics and present them at seminars.

Course Code: 
BCH 399
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Principles of Management

The course covers the nature and scope of management.  Topics include managerial functions; organisational theories; goals of business organisations; economic and social responsibilities of management; decision making techniques and influence. The nature and types of organisation and their implications for organisational administration will also be discussed.  The course also exposes students to the organisational behaviour and human relations in management. The application of concepts such as leadership, motivation, communication and morale to the management of people and organisations will be discussed.  Students will also be introduced to the concept of time management, analysis and causes of change and how to manage change, innovation and control.

Course Code: 
BCH 333
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Bio-Computing

The course covers current trends in bioinformatics, uses and prospects, retrieval of information from the biological database such as gene and protein data banks.  Other topics include methods for sequence alignment, protein structure prediction and motif finding. The use of phylogenetic trees for assessment of biodiversity and genetic changes in population will be treated. Bioinformatics case studies will be provided for group discussions.

Course Code: 
BCH 331
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

General Microbiology

The course covers the fundamentals of microbiology, including; microbial structures and functions, metabolism, growth, genetics, classification, and pathogenesis; virology, principles of infectious disease; host defends and antimicrobial drugs. Microbial concepts are reinforced and expanded by students’ laboratory investigations. 

Course Code: 
BCH 336
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Chemistry of Natural Products

The course provides an introduction to the biogenesis of key plant secondary metabolites; terpenoids, steroids, alkaloids (especially indole alkaloids), flavonoids, essential oils, polyketides, polyisoprenoids and shikimic acid metabolites, the mechanism underlying their formation, methods of extraction, isolation, purification, and structure determination. A survey of the pharmacological activities associated with the various metabolite classes; flavonoids, alkaloids and terpenoids; plant growth and defence substances will be covered.

Course Code: 
BCH 330
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
Second Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

Chemistry of Carbanions & Aromatic Compounds

This course is designed to give biochemistry students the mechanistic understanding of physiological reactions with specific focus on metabolite and enzyme reactions. Topics covered will include mechanisms of substitution and elimination reactions of dienes; addition polymers of monoalkenes and dienes. The discussion will also include reaction of carbanions, aromaticity and electrophilic and nucleophilic substitution of benzenes and phenols.

Course Code: 
BCH 327
No. of Credits: 
2
Level: 
Level 300
Course Semester: 
First Semester
Select Programme(s): 
Biochemistry

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