PSC3142: Computational Drug Design

8% Structure Based Drug Design lab report (score moderated by workshop mark)
8% Pharmacophore lab report
8% Experimental Design report
8% Bioinformatics report
8% Molecular Dynamics report (this was completed over 2 labs)
60% 2 hour exam

This unit built upon the foundations taught in PSC3142, computational chemistry. There was a lot of work to be done in the first section, SBDD, as Elizabeth moved the majority of the teaching to moodle lessons. Everything else was pretty breezy and I did pretty okay on the labs (my average was between 76 and 80), but I crashed a bit in the exam, but then again, at the time, I focused too much on the fluffy snake unit oops!
As this is a medicinal chemistry unit, the labs were marked harshly, with ambiguous rubrics, however, I managed to do pretty alright (as I said above haha), despite everyone calling me nuts for doing this unit!
This unit also only ran over 8 weeks due to placement being in the middle of the semester!

Note: this subject is still mildly relevant to the new degree, as from 2020, it is smooshed into a single unit that combines concepts from both PSC2142 and this one. I think it may still be called computational drug design though, but check the current course map to be sure!

Dr Elizabeth Yuriev (Unit coordinator and absolute gem), Dr David Manallack (who’s now gone on long-service leave and said is unlikely to return to faculty), and Dr David Chalmers.

2 were provided, from the previous two years. It was handy to focus my attention on stuff that was difficult. (MedChem units are tough. People kept asking me how I coped with this unit. It was honestly not that bad imo)

4 out of 5

Yes

In Silico Drug Design was prescribed for Structure Based Drug Design. It helped clarify a lot of ideas discussed in lectures, the lab, and workshop.

2 x 1h lectures/week (weeks 1-5,6-10), 6 x 3h computer labs, 3 x 2h workshops.
There was a couple of Moodle lessons to go through before the two SBDD workshops.

2019/2

75D