Teaching

I currently teach BCHM 462 (Metabolism) in the fall semester. BCHM 462 is catered to Biochemistry juniors at the department. At its core, BCHM 462 examines metabolic pathways that are essential for biological energy conversions – bioenergetics. Two major topics covered are the photosynthetic conversion of light energy into usable chemical energy and the biological oxidation (respiration) that releases the free energy of energy-rich carbon compounds. These two core metabolic pathways are entrenched in my research interests and this motivates me immensely to teach this course. A major thrust of this course is to convey the message that life is powered through electrochemical gradients established across bioenergetic membranes of chloroplasts and mitochondria. The course also briefly surveys the synthesis and breakdown of fatty acids, amino acids, and nucleic acids – the structural and informational biomolecules whose metabolism is intricately linked to the metabolism of sugars. Drawing from current problems and challenges, the real-life applications of central metabolism are discussed with an emphasis on the development of critical thinking and analytical skills. For more information, please see the most recent course syllabus.