BMB 571Seminar Course on Biomembranes
Nobel prizes, historical quantum leaps, and current challenges
in membrane biochemistry and biophysics.
Course Director: Tobias Baumgart; baumgart@sas.upenn.edu; tel: 215-573-7539
Tuesdays and Thursdays, 10:00 – 11:30 a.m., 255 Anatomy-Chemistry Building
Biomembranes have fascinated researchers for ages, dating back in a sense even to Philadelphia’s most famous citizen: Benjamin Franklin. This course will examine the history of models for biomembrane function, and lipid bilayer membrane research in general and survey ground breaking scientific findings contributing to our current knowledge of biomembrane structure and function, by primarily examining original research papers, including Nobel price winning contributions. Topics that will be covered include but are not limited to:
- membrane associated enzymes, pores and channels, lipid / protein interactions
- membrane associated multi-enzyme machineries: protein / protein interactions, transmembrane signaling complexes, focal adhesions, respiratory chain
- membrane trafficking: secretory and endocytic trafficking pathways, organelle homeostasis, vesicle versus monomeric lipid transport, coat proteins, membrane fusion and fission
- Lipid and protein biosynthesis
- Experimental membrane models: self assembled membranes, purified membranes, and simulated membranes.
Students will make presentations (particular subjects will be decided by the student and course director) in a discussion group format. Grades will be based on quality of the presentations and participation in the discussions.