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INTRODUCTION
The main objectives of this graduate programme are: (a) training in the methods of pursuing an academic career in research and/or teaching (b) training and improvement in various biochemical techniques and methods beyond first degree level for those who are needed in industry e.g. food, brewery, and pharmaceutical industries where there is increasing demand for biochemists with industry orientation.
The programme offers two types of degree (a) The Master of Science (M.Sc) degree (b) The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) degree
4. Admission Requirements 1. General Requirements (a) M.Sc Degree (i) Candidates registering for the M.Sc degree must be prepared to pursue a course of a minimum of 12 months duration. (ii) The M.Sc degree programme is open to candidates holding at least a Second class lower degree in Biochemistry, or in a field closely related to Biochemistry such as Chemistry, Pharmacy, Medicine, Agriculture, Food science or Biology.
(iii) Any candidate particularly non-Biochemistry majors, may be required to take remedial courses without credit, when recommended to do so by the Head of Department. In some cases a longer study programme may be necessary.
(b) Ph.D Degree The Ph.D. Degree Programme is open to candidates with an M.Sc degree with thesis, or an M. Phil Degree in Biochemistry. In special cases, candidates qualified in fields very related to or overlapping areas of Biochemistry e.g. Microbiology, Chemical Engineering or Clinical Biochemistry will be admitted. In the latter cases, the candidate may be required to take supplementary courses without credit.
Course Requirements A. Course Requirements for M.Sc Degree An M.Sc Candidate will be required to deliver a seminar every semester on the degree programme. He must also present a seminar on his completed thesis before his final oral examination. In order to qualify for an M.Sc, a degree candidate must register for a minimum of 24 units of study as follows:
1. Compulsory Courses:
BCH 600 - Advanced Laboratory courses 3 units BCH 601 - Advanced Intermediary Metabolism 2 units BCH 602 - Seminar and independent studies 3 units Sub-Total 8 units
2. Selected Courses
At least six units may be chosen from BCH 603 to BCH 612. Four units may be taken from other Departments, in the Faculty of Science and/or cognate faculties (subject to the approval of the departmental postgraduate Committee. Sub-Total 10 units.
3. Thesis 6 units
B. Course Requirement for Ph.D Degree A Ph.D candidate will be expected to deliver a seminar every semester on the degree programme. A Ph.D candidate must submit a thesis according to the University regulations. He must also present a seminar on his completed thesis before his final oral examination. All candidates for the Ph.D degree shall after completing the required course-work be further required to pass a qualifying examination as laid down in the university regulations not later that one year after registration.
(a) Courses Courses available in the Department Code Title Units BCH 600 Advanced Laboratory Course 3 BCH 601 Advanced Intermediary Metabolism 2
BCH 602 Seminar and Independent Studies 3 BCH 603 Advances in Protein Chemistry 2 BCH 604 Advances in Enzymology 2 BCH 605 Industrial Biochemistry 2 BCH 606 Advanced Molecular Biology 2 BCH 607 Biochemical Toxicology 2 BCH 608 Biological Membranes 2 BCH 609 Current Topics in Cellular Regulation 2 BCH 610 Immunochemistry 2 BCH 611 Neurochemistry 1 BCH 612 Biochemical Basis of clinical chemistry 1 BCH 613 Thesis 6
(c) EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS
I. M.Sc Degree Assessment of a candidate for an M.Sc degree will be in four parts: (i) BCH 600 – Advanced Laboratory Course The performance in this course will be assessed by continuous assessment of the student and/or by written examination (ii) Written papers on courses. Compulsory courses BCH 601 and BCH 602 and selected courses will be assessed in written papers and in any other form the Department might consider useful. (iii) Thesis A thesis, being original work carried out while studying for the degree will be submitted by the candidate according to university regulations. The candidate will present a seminar on his completed thesis before presenting himself for the oral examination. (iv) Oral Examination After submission of the thesis, a Board of Examiners, as specified by University Regulations will examine the candidate orally.
II. Ph.D Degree A candidate registered for the Ph.D degree must submit to the Department at the end of the first session a comprehensive research proposal, for assessment by a committee set up by the Department. The document must include a review of the present knowledge of the field of research as well as the future trends and research methodologies. In order to qualify for the award of Ph.D a candidate must submit a thesis that should be an original work carried out while studying for the degree and written in the form specified by University Regulations. The candidate shall present a seminar on his completed thesis before presenting himself for the oral examination After submission of the thesis a Board of Examiners, according to the University Regulations, must orally examine the candidate
Course Description A. Main fields of Research (i) Enzymes and Proteins. Structures, regulation and mechanism of action of enzymes: physical and chemical studies of haem proteins and membrane proteins. (ii) Lipids and Membranes Isolation, structural and physiological studies and metabolism of lipids. Studies of factors that affect the integrity of biological membranes. (iii) Cell Biology Toxicology, Lysosome stability, polynucleotide synthesis and interferon, induction lectin characterization and interaction with polysaccharides. (iv) Medicinal and Natural Products Structural and bioactivity studies, in vitro toxicological studies of natural products and their synthetic derivatives.
B. Course Contents: Not all the courses listed below may be offered every year. Those available will depend on staffing.
BCH 600: Advanced Laboratory Course (1+0+12) 4 units This is a lecture plus practical course covering a wide range of biochemical techniques, some of which are currently in use in research projects in the Department. It is aimed at improving the manipulative skill of the student and familiarizing the student will a variety of preparative and analytical techniques.
BCH 601: Advanced Intermediary Metabolism (2+0+0) 2 units Recent advances in intermediary metabolism, biochemical factors and principles important for achieving integration and co-ordination of metabolic pathways, interaction of various types of regulation in specific systems, biochemical reaction mechanisms.
BCH 602: Seminar and Independent Studies (0+2+0) 2 units Each student will deliver seminars on selected topics and submit a written paper on a specific subject or problem of current interest in Biochemical sciences. Special attention will be paid to the act of writing scientific manuscripts.
BCH 603: Advances in Protein Chemistry (2+0+0) 2 units Determination of Protein sequence and conformation, chemical modification of proteins, non-catalytic proteins with specialized functions.
BCH 604: Advances in Enzymology (2+0+0) 2 units Kinetics of enzyme catalyzed reactions, mechanisms of enzyme action, structure-function relationships, and regulatory properties.
BCH 605: Industrial Biochemistry (3+0+0) 3 units Enzyme biotechnology (isolation, production and immobilization of enzymes), enzyme reactors, the direct use of isolated enzymes from microbial, plant and other sources, as well as enzymes in intact organisms, brewery, food, pharmaceuticals, detergents, agriculture, environmental, energy, medicine and chemical industries, fermentation pathways of different microorganisms and control of fermentation processes in industrially important microorganisms, microbial transformation of drugs.
BCH 606: Advanced Molecular Biology (3+0+0) 3 units. Physiochemical properties and analysis of fine structure of nucleic acids, properties and analysis of DNA and RNA molecules, latest research on the mechanism and control of replication, transcription and translation, DNA recombinant techniques, cloning, special techniques in molecular biology and biotechnology.
BCH 607: Biochemical Toxicology (2+0+0) 2 units Survey of toxins such as naturally occurring toxins, drugs, chemicals and insecticides, mode of action of toxins, structure-activity relationship, analysis of cell damage, industrial toxicology and environmental toxicology.
BCH 608: Biological Membranes (2+0+) 2 units Characterization and composition of biological membranes, Lipid-protein interactions, structure of membranes, mechanism of assembly of membranes, and functional aspects of membranes e.g. transport across membranes, membrane receptors, electron transport and oxidative phosphorylation.
BCH 609: Current topics in cellular regulation (2+0+0) 2 Units. Biochemistry of development, regulation of intra- and intercellular communication, the biology and biochemistry of advanced cellular regulation.
BCH 610: Immunochemistry (1+0+0) 1 unit Structure, biosynthesis and secretion of antibody, molecular basis of antigenicity and the nature of antibody- antigen reactions.
BCH 611: Neurochemistry (1+0+0) 1 unit Mechanism of conduction of the nervous impulse, functional activity of neurotransmitters, neurotransmitters and receptors, biochemical analysis of memory.
BCH 612: Biochemical Basis of Clinical Chemistry (1+0+0) 1 unit Techniques used in analysis of clinical specimens, water and electrolyte balance, enzymes in diagnosis, hormone assays, clinical metabolic studies.
Staff for Postgraduate courses and their Research Interests.
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