MSc in Drug Design - modules

• Computer-Aided Drug Design - This module aims to provide knowledge, understanding and practical experience of the application of molecular modelling and computational chemistry to drug design. Specifically, the students should gain an understanding of which computational or modelling approach is appropriate in any given drug design scenario. Two major areas of computer aided-drug design will be covered - quantitative structure activity relationships (QSAR) and protein modelling and docking studies. These areas will involve the use of molecular graphics, conformational analysis, geometry optimization, molecular dynamics and protein-ligand docking. The teaching is focuses on practical sessions and will involve considerable periods of computer work.
• Bioinformatics and Cheminformatics for Drug Design - This module will provide knowledge and practical experience of applying relevant aspects of bioinformatics and cheminformatics within the context of drug design. After the course, students should be able to understand how to use informatics techniques to address problems in drug design. The kinds of topics covered will include:  sequences, genomes, and biological targets, sequence searching, multiple sequence alignment, phylogeny, protein structure, homology modelling, drawing and coding chemical structures, searching chemical structures, chemical similarity, molecular descriptors, pharmacophores, lead hopping, filtering and clustering, ADMET property prediction.
• Drug Discovery -The aim of the module is to provide an overview of the drug discovery process from target to market. This module includes an overview of the pharmaceutical industry, an introduction to receptors and drug action, biological evaluation of new compounds, drugs from nature, medicinal natural products - a biosynthetic approach; lead discovery and lead optimization, combinatorial chemistry and high throughput synthesis, drug chirality and its pharmacological consequences, prodrugs, absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination and clearance, the role of toxicology in drug development, drug design and physicochemical properties, drug development, clinical trials, future trends and case studies in drug design and drug discovery.
  
• Chemotherapy & Selective Toxicity - This module aims to provide insight and understanding into the mechanisms of antibiotics used to control infectious diseases and of agents used in the treatment and control of cancer. Through the anti-infective component of the module you will gain an understanding of the molecular targets and action of therapeutic agents, resistance and how this might be countered. The focus on cancer will provide you with an enhanced understanding of the molecular biology of the cancer cell and the basis for conventional and novel therapies.
• Research Methods 1: Professional Development - The professional skills taught in this module will equip students with a range of professional skills for academia and the biotechnology sector whilst familiarising you with professional issues such as research funding and ethical codes for guiding ‘best practice’ in research.
• Research Methods 2: Communication Skills - This module includes the following - critical analysis of published work, reviewing papers; writing abstracts, writing research papers, preparing poster presentations and oral presentation skills. 
  
• Research Project - The research project involves experiential learning with the completion of a comprehensive literature review appropriate to the project. The latter involves the preparation of a detailed project plan including resourcing and costing of materials and an appreciation of experimental design. The research project includes practical work, data production, processing and analysis and culminates with the preparation of a detailed final project report (mini-thesis) and the presentation of a poster to illustrate the main findings from the project to an audience of fellow students and staff.