Semester-wise Syllabus for MSc Biochemistry

Semester 1: Core Principles & Techniques

1. Biomolecules & Enzymology

   • Structure/function of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids

   • Enzyme kinetics (Michaelis-Menten, inhibition mechanisms)

   • Coenzymes & metalloenzymes

2. Cell Biology & Signaling

   • Organelle structure/function (mitochondria, ER, Golgi)

   • Signal transduction pathways (GPCRs, RTKs)

3. Analytical Techniques

   • Chromatography (HPLC, GC), electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE)

   • Spectroscopy (UV-Vis, CD, fluorescence)

4. Molecular Biology

   • DNA replication, transcription, translation

   • PCR, cloning, CRISPR basics

5. Lab Work

   • Protein purification (ammonium sulfate fractionation, column chromatography)

   • Enzyme assays (spectrophotometric methods)

Semester 2: Metabolism & Advanced Methods

1. Intermediary Metabolism

   • Glycolysis, TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation

   • Photosynthesis & nitrogen metabolism

2. Immunology

   • Antibody structure, complement system

   • ELISA, Western blot applications

3. Biophysical Chemistry

   • Thermodynamics of biological systems

   • X-ray crystallography/NMR basics

4. Bioinformatics

   • Sequence alignment (BLAST), protein modeling (PyMOL)

   • KEGG pathway analysis

5. Lab Work

   • DNA isolation & PCR

   • Immunotechniques (agglutination tests)

Semester 3: Specializations & Research

1. Medical Biochemistry

   • Cancer metabolism, biomarkers

   • Inborn errors of metabolism

2. Structural Biology

   • Protein folding, chaperones

   • Cryo-EM techniques

3. Electives (Choose 2)

   • Neurochemistry (Neurotransmitters, Alzheimer’s mechanisms)

   • Industrial Biotech (Fermentation, bioprocessing)

   • Plant Biochemistry (Secondary metabolites, stress responses)

4. Research Methodology

   • Literature review, experimental design

   • Statistical tools (GraphPad Prism)

5. Lab Work

   • Recombinant DNA technology

   • Metabolomics (LC-MS basics)

Semester 4: Dissertation & Emerging Fields

1. Genomics & Proteomics

   • Next-gen sequencing, mass spectrometry applications

2. Pharmacology & Drug Design

   • Enzyme inhibitors, drug-target interactions

3. Dissertation

   • 6-month research project (e.g., "Antioxidant effects of phytochemicals")

   • Thesis submission & viva voce

4. Recent Advances

   • Single-cell omics, synthetic biology

   • Ethical issues in biotech