Course Descriptions
Outlined here are brief overviews of BRITE courses, lab modules and seminars.
BRITE Courses
PHRM 1000: Anatomy & Physiology
This course is an integrated, in-depth study of the anatomy and physiology of the human body, including cells, tissues, integument, skeletal, muscular, and nervous systems and sense organs. There is also emphasis on cardiovascular, lymphatic, respiratory, digestive, endocrine, excretory, and reproductive systems and human development.
Prerequisite: BIOL 1101 — General Biology I
PHRM 4100: Immunology & Virology
This course is an introduction to Immunology and Virology. Topics will include the basic concepts of immunity, including molecular and cellular composition of the immune system and immune processes that are responsible for defense against pathogens and tumors, as well as allergic and autoimmune reactions. Structure and function of viruses, viral diseases, vaccines, cancer, immunological techniques used in industry, use of viruses in the biotechnology industry will all be included within this course. The course will also include theoretical discussion of therapeutic and diagnostic uses of antibodies, sterile technique, hybridoma production, selection and cell cloning.
Prerequisite: BIOL 3330 - Molecular Cell Biology, or with the consent of the instructor
PHRM 4110 and 4111: Bioprocess and Cell Culture Lecture and Lab
This course teaches the skills needed to work as a scientist in biotechnology production. Students will grow and monitor bacterial and mammalian cells on a laboratory scale that emulates the large-scale production used in industry. Students will become familiar with the cleaning, sterilization, aseptic inoculation, operation and monitoring of fermenters and bioreactors. Students then recover and purify proteins produced by those cell cultures. They recover and purify proteins using centrifugation, ultra-filtration and chromatography techniques. The course emphasizes the use of current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMP), and students gain experience following Standard Operating Procedures (SOP).
Prerequisite: BIOL 3200 - Microbiology, AND CHEM 4500, CHEM 4520 - Biochemistry lecture and laboratory or with the consent of the instructor.
PHRM 4120: Assay Design
This course teaches the skills needed for employment in a research and development entity in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. There will be an overview of the drug discovery process followed by detailed review of assay methods applicable to early phase small molecule discovery and upstream biologics development. Students will become familiar with different assays employed in the industries as screening tools and learn how to choose relevant assays to determine desired endpoints. Detailed review of protocols to enable, develop, and validate robust assays for target screening, potency and efficacy determinations, selectivity and specificity will be presented.
Prerequisite: CHEM 4500/4520 — Biochemistry & Lab, or with the consent of the instructor
PHRM 4130 and 4131: Bioanalytical Chemistry Lecture and Lab
Interdisciplinary knowledge is becoming more and more important to the modern scientist. Bioanalytical chemistry is an interdisciplinary field in which analytical methods and instruments are used to solve problems of interest in biology or biochemistry. The goal of this course is to educate students in analytical methodologies used to separate and characterize compounds resulting from biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. This course will provide students the opportunity to learn mass spectrometry of small molecules and biomolecules, LC/MS, separation techniques [(Gel filtration chromatography, High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)], spectroscopic techniques [UV-vis adsorption, luminescence and fluorescence and Capillary Electrophoresis (CE)] and biosensor technology.
Prerequisites: CHEM 2020 — Quantitative Analysis, CHEM 4500/4520 — Biochemistry and lab, or with the consent of the instructor
PHRM 5120 : Adv Biochemistry Lab
This course will expand on the basic concepts covered in CHEM4520. Students will deepen their knowledge of and hands-on experience with cloning, bacterial expression, enzyme purification and assay development. Students will perform a semester-long project that involves amplification of a gene using PCR, cloning the PCR product, expressing the protein in E. coli, purifying the protein, and developing and optimizing an assay to measure enzyme activity. The purification will employ the AKTA System, a state-of-the-art purification system from GE Healthcare that is specifically designed for protein purification. Hands-on practical experience will be gained in molecular biology, general biochemical techniques, and fundamental enzymology.
Time: 3 lab hours twice a week.
Prerequisite: CHEM 3120/3320 — Organic Chemistry and lab, CHEM4500/4520 — Biochemistry and Lab, or with the consent of the instructor
BRITE Lab Modules
Microbial and Protein Sciences
Research and projects will be related to the optimization of the scale-up process using recombinant microorganisms and downstream process such as improvement of purification, covalent modifications and folding of active macromolecule.
Mammalian Cell Genomic Sciences
Research and projects will be related to the development of novel cell lines, proprietary media and viral vectors to improve the large production of recombinant proteins under serum-free conditions. Examples are research related to the design of vector carrying the gene for immunoglobulin, express of industrial scales of monoclonal antibodies in stable cell lines and genetic modification of production hosts to increase cell viability.
Bio-analytical Chemistry
Research and projects will be related to the development of highly sensitive analytical methods for the quantification of target molecules in complex biological systems, such as amines, amino acids, peptides, proteins and nucleic acids. Analytical methods include but not limited to HPLC, LC/MS/MS, TOF-MS, capillary electrophoresis (CE), pressure assisted capillary electrochromatography (PEC), etc.
High Throughput Sciences and Biosensor Technology
Research and projects will be related to the development or application of high throughput detection and biosensing technology, quantitative analysis of macromolecular interactions, such as kinetic analysis of macromolecular stability, macromolecule-lig and interactions etc.
Agriculture Technologies
Target Validation Research
Research related to the identification of targets for therapeutic intervention: cancer, cardiovascular, neurodegeneration, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases, orphan diseases, drug abuse and other CNS related diseases
Assay Technologies
Research related to the detection technologies, assay miniaturization, automation, etc.
Medicinal Chemistry
SAR, lead optimization, combi-chem library synthesis
Chemo-informatics
Molecular modeling, QSAR and virtual screen
BRITE Seminars
BRITE Seminar 1: Overview of the Drug Industry
This course will detail the process of the drug industry starting from drug target validation, discovery process, drug development in clinical trials and finally, drug manufacture.
BRITE Seminar 2: FDA-regulations
This course will detail the regulations of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the drug industry, including information surrounding Investigation of New Drug (IND) and New Drug Application (NDA) to document the safety and efficacy of a drug for human usage.
BRITE Seminar 3: Quality Assurance
This course will detail the criteria for quality of a final product through manufacturing, which involves many specifications and documentation.
BRITE Seminar 4: Introduction to GMP
This course will detail the definition of Good Manufacture Practice, including the documentation and regulations of GMP facilities.
BRITE Seminar 5: Intellectual Properties & Patent Laws
This course will detail the intellectual properties and patent laws of the biomanufacturing and biotechnology businesses, including how to protect intellectual properties by documentation and how to respect patent laws.
BRITE Seminar 6: Team Work Environment
This course will focus on working in a team setting, demonstrating the importance of working in a team, exploring ways of working with supervisors/co-workers/direct reports, and looking at ways of resolving conflict in a team environment.