Structural Biology Course | IIT Roorkee | Prof. Saugata Hazra | Drug Design
Course Details
| Exam Registration | 523 |
|---|---|
| Course Status | Ongoing |
| Course Type | Core |
| Language | English |
| Duration | 12 weeks |
| Categories | Biological Sciences & Bioengineering, Biosciences |
| Credit Points | 3 |
| Level | Undergraduate/Postgraduate |
| Start Date | 19 Jan 2026 |
| End Date | 10 Apr 2026 |
| Enrollment Ends | 02 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Registration Ends | 20 Feb 2026 |
| Exam Date | 19 Apr 2026 IST |
| NCrF Level | 4.5 — 8.0 |
Unlocking the 3D Blueprint of Life: A Comprehensive Guide to Structural Biology
In the post-genomic era, where sequencing a genome is faster than ever, we are left with a critical question: what do these thousands of genes and proteins actually do? The answer lies not in their sequence, but in their intricate three-dimensional shapes. Welcome to the fascinating world of Structural Biology—the field dedicated to visualizing and understanding the molecular machinery of life at an atomic level.
This detailed 12-week course, instructed by Prof. Saugata Hazra of IIT Roorkee, is designed to be your gateway into this pivotal discipline, bridging the gap between genetic code and biological function.
Meet Your Instructor: Prof. Saugata Hazra
Learning from an expert with both deep academic knowledge and extensive research experience is invaluable. Prof. Hazra brings precisely that to this course.
- Academic Credentials: An alumnus of IIT Kharagpur, he earned his Ph.D. in Structural Biology and Structure-Based Drug Design from the University of Illinois, Chicago.
- Research Expertise: His post-doctoral work at prestigious institutions like St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Albert Einstein College of Medicine solidified his expertise.
- Current Focus: At IIT Roorkee, his research group tackles pressing issues like antimicrobial drug resistance and enzyme engineering for waste valorization.
- Award-Winning Scholar: A recipient of the DST-Young Scientist Award and the Royal Academy of Engineering's Frontiers of Engineering award.
With years of teaching courses like Macromolecular Crystallography and Bioinformatics, Prof. Hazra is perfectly positioned to guide students through this complex subject. View his faculty profile here.
Who Should Take This Course?
This course is meticulously crafted for a wide audience, making advanced concepts accessible to all.
- Intended Audience: Undergraduate and Postgraduate students in Biotechnology, Pharmaceuticals, Bioinformatics, Chemistry, and related programs.
- Industry Professionals: Research scientists in biotech and pharma, veterinarians, and clinicians involved in basic research will find it an excellent refresher and update.
- Prerequisites: It is an introductory course. A basic knowledge of biology is helpful but not mandatory.
Why is Structural Biology Crucial Today?
The course begins by setting the stage in the Post-NGS (Next Generation Sequencing) Era. While we can now list the parts list of life (genes/proteins), understanding their function requires knowing their 3D structure. This knowledge is the cornerstone for:
- Rational Drug Design: Designing drugs that perfectly fit into a protein's active site, like a key in a lock.
- Protein Engineering: Modifying enzymes for industrial applications, biofuel production, or bioremediation.
- Understanding Disease: Visualizing how mutations cause misfolding or dysfunction, as seen in Alzheimer's or cystic fibrosis.
This course aims to link biological events to molecular architecture, explaining how proteins are generated, folded, and become functional.
Detailed 12-Week Course Layout
Here’s a week-by-week breakdown of what you will learn, building from fundamentals to advanced applications.
| Week | Topic | Key Learning Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | Introduction & Protein Fundamentals | History of biological inventions, properties of amino acids, levels of protein structure (primary to quaternary), Ramachandran plots, and protein folding thermodynamics. |
| 3-5 | X-ray Crystallography | In-depth coverage of the premier technique for atomic-resolution structures. Learn about crystallization, diffraction, solving the "phase problem," refinement, and depositing structures in the Protein Data Bank (PDB). |
| 6 | Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) | Principles of NMR for studying protein structures in solution, sample preparation, and multi-dimensional spectroscopy. |
| 7 | Spectroscopy | Using UV-Vis, Circular Dichroism (CD), Fluorescence, and Raman spectroscopy to probe protein structure and dynamics. |
| 8 | Cryo-Electron Microscopy (Cryo-EM) | The revolutionary technique for visualizing large macromolecular complexes. Covers functioning, data collection, and analysis. |
| 9 | Molecular Visualization | Hands-on guidance on using tools like PyMol and Coot to visualize and manipulate 3D structure files (.pdb, .mmcif). |
| 10 | Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation | Learn to simulate the movement of atoms over time. Covers force fields, solvation models, energy minimization, and applications. |
| 11 | Protein Engineering | Strategies for designing new proteins, including rational design and directed evolution, with real-world case studies. |
| 12 | Structure-Based Drug Discovery (SBDD) | The culmination: applying structural knowledge to discover new drugs. Topics include molecular docking, virtual screening, and ADMETox modeling. |
Your Learning Outcomes
By the end of this 12-week journey, you will be equipped to:
- Understand the architectural principles of proteins, nucleic acids, and other macromolecules.
- Compare and contrast major structural biology techniques (X-ray, Cryo-EM, NMR) and their applications.
- Visualize, interpret, and analyze 3D structural data from repositories like the PDB.
- Grasp the fundamentals of molecular dynamics simulations and protein engineering.
- Appreciate the pipeline for structure-based drug discovery.
This course serves as the perfect foundation for advanced studies in Macromolecular Crystallography, Cryo-EM, NMR, and Structure-Based Drug Designing.
Essential Reference Books
To complement the lectures, Prof. Hazra recommends several authoritative texts, including:
- Introduction to Protein Structure by Branden & Tooze
- Biochemistry by Voet & Voet / Stryer
- Introduction to Macromolecular Crystallography by McPherson
- Principles of Protein X-Ray Crystallography by Drenth
Industry Relevance & Support
The skills gained from this course are in high demand across pharmaceutical, biotechnology, and biochemical engineering industries. Understanding structural biology is directly applicable to:
- Drug discovery and development pipelines.
- Designing industrial enzymes.
- Diagnostics and therapeutic antibody development.
Embark on this journey to see biology in a new dimension. Enroll in this Structural Biology course to transform from reading the code of life to visualizing its magnificent three-dimensional reality.
Enroll Now →