This course brings together chemistry and biology to understand biological systems at the molecular level. Students apply principles of molecular structure, non-covalent interactions, thermodynamics, kinetics and chemical reactivity to explore the structure, function and behaviour of biomolecules. Starting with the chemical origins of biology, students study the structure of DNA, RNA and proteins, and examine how molecular structure determines biological function.

Students study the chemical basis of nucleic acid function, protein structure and enzyme catalysis, including molecular recognition, binding thermodynamics and enzyme kinetics. They also learn how biomolecules can be separated, visualised and characterised using techniques such as electrophoresis, chromatography, fluorescence spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, NMR and diffraction methods. The course also introduces modern chemical biology approaches for investigating and manipulating biomolecules in living systems. 

The course has a strong experimental component, with students performing lab exercises involving protein characterisation, PCR, fluorescence-based binding assays, enzyme kinetics, live-cell fluorescence microscopy and molecular docking. Through these experiments and research-paper based presentations, students develop the ability to select appropriate methods, analyse experimental data and explain biological processes using chemical principles.