Biochemistry

Objectives

1. Become aware of the underlying unity of biomolecules and relate their structure to their function in marine organisms;
2. Recognize the main metabolic pathways and explain their interrelationship and regulatory mechanisms, to interpret/predict their modifications as a function of the characteristics inherent to the systems themselves and the variability of external factors;
3. Have an overview of metabolites of marine origin with nutritional or biotechnological interest;
4. To know the basic techniques used in biochemical research applied to the identification and characterization of biological molecules; 5. Formulate hypotheses, analyze experimental results and present them to their peers.

Program

Theoretical component:

1. Main groups of biomolecules: carbohydrates, lipids and nitrogen molecules.
2. Enzymes and enzyme kinetics.
3. Energy flow in marine trophic chains: autotrophy and heterotrophy, anaerobiosis and aerobiosis. Carbohydrate metabolism: glycolysis, fermentation, Krebs cycle, electron transport chain, glyoxylate cycle, photosynthesis. Metabolism of lipids and nitrogenous compounds. 4. Nutritional aspects of marine organisms – algae, fish and invertebrates.
5. Importance of "alternative" metabolisms in biotechnology – Archaea, bacteria and cyanobacteria.

Practical component

1. Preparation of buffer solutions.
2. Study of common phenomena in marine aquatic environment, such as diffusion.
3. Isolation and analysis of algae pigments.
4. Determination of the carbohydrate, lipid and total protein content of marine organisms.
5. Quantification and analysis of fish lipids. 6. Defense compounds: anticholinesterasic activity.

Teaching Methodologies

The course will be taught combining presential activities in the classroom and in the laboratory, with asynchronous activities supported by the Moodle platform available at UAç. In each syllabus, scientific articles and concrete examples will be discussed in class that allow students to assimilate and deepen theoretical concepts – e.g., the importance of lipids and specific composition in deep-sea fish and migratory seabirds. The laboratory work will be carried out after discussion of the experimental methodologies to be applied. A minimum grade of 9.5 is required to pass this course.

Bibliography

- Pilson, M. E. Q. 2012. An introduction to the chemistry of the sea. 2nd edition. Cambridge University Press, ISBN: 9780521887076.
- Nelson, D.L., Cox, M. M. 2021. Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry, 8th edition, W.H. Freeman & Co., New York
- Quintas, A., Freire, A.P., Halpern, M.J. 2008. Bioquímica - Organização Molecular da Vida. Ed. Lidel, Lisboa.
- Scientific articles in Moodle platform