Key facts
UNE unit code: CHEM503
*You are viewing the 2025 version of this unit which may be subject to change in future.
- Trimester 1 - On Campus
- Trimester 1 - Online
- Armidale Campus
- Yes
- Yes
- Yes
- 6
Unit information
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As global populations age and complex, chronic diseases become increasingly prevalent, development of new therapeutic agents is vital. Drug development is a rapidly evolving field, integrating advanced knowledge of medicinal chemistry and human biology.
This unit introduces you to the drugs used in medicine, exploring their modes of action and cutting-edge methods used for their discovery and development.
Building a chemical understanding of the role of metals in enzymes, drugs and diagnostic agents, you will explore the metabolism of endogenous and exogenous organic drugs, the role of metabolism in toxicity and the effect of metabolism on pharmacokinetics.
You will also examine quantitative methods for determining activity (QSAR) and pharmacokinetic properties (QSPR).
Practical sessions equip you with methods for the synthesis of common functional groups, as well as C-C and C-N bond forming reactions and methods for the isolation of biological compounds.
Offerings
For further information about UNE's teaching periods, please go to Principal Dates.
Teaching period | Mode/location |
---|---|
Trimester 1 | On Campus, Armidale Campus |
Trimester 1 | Online |
*Offering is subject to availability
Intensive schools
Start | Finish | Duration | Attendance | Offerings | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TBA | TBA | 4 days | Mandatory Intensive School | Trimester 1, Online | Dates to be advised. The intensive school is mandatory for online students only. Students must attend the Mandatory Intensive School which is held in Armidale. No teaching activities will occur on Sunday. |
Enrolment rules
Notes
Please refer to the student handbook for current details on this unit.
Unit coordinator(s)
Learning outcomes
Upon completion of this unit, students will be able to:
- understand in depth the interplay of structure, property and function of selected biologically important molecules and critically apply this advanced and integrated knowledge to solve problems in medicinal chemistry;
- devise routes to selected classes of complex molecules and critically analyse, reflect on and synthesise complex information from resources such as scifinder scholar to access appropriate scientific literature to refine designs;
- apply an advanced and integrated knowledge of inorganic chemistry to the understanding of complex structure and function relationships of metal containing drugs and enzymes;
- research and apply established theories to predict the pharmacokinetics of drugs in the body using quantitative structure property relationships and derive relationships relating structure and bioactivity;
- apply knowledge and expert skills to demonstrate common procedures such as reductive amination, acylation, crystallisation and chromatography to synthesise bioactive compounds as well as autonomously performing risk assessments and expert judgement and responsibility to ensure a safe working environment; and
- write comprehensive descriptions of experimental procedures for specialist chemists, and non-specialists, and effectively communicate ideas using established scientific language.
Assessment information
Assessments are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Title | Must Complete | Weight | Offerings | Assessment Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
Assessment 1 | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Problem-based assignment requiring short answers and/or calculations. |
Assessment 2 | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Problem-based assignment requiring short answers and/or calculations. |
Assessment 3 | Yes | 10% | All offerings | Problem-based assignment requiring short answers and/or calculations. |
Assessment 4 | Yes | 30% | All offerings | Six (6) practical assessment tasks. Students must submit all practical reports and gain an overall pass in the practical component in order to pass this unit. |
Final Examination | Yes | 40% | All offerings | It is mandatory to pass the final examination in order to pass this unit. |
Learning resources
Textbooks are subject to change up to 8 weeks prior to the start of the teaching period in which you are undertaking the unit.
Note: Recommended material is held in the University Library — purchase is optional.
An Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry
ISBN: 9780198749691
Patrick, G., Oxford University Press 6th ed. 2017
Text refers to: All offerings
Note: Referenced material is held in the University Library — purchase is optional.
Metals in Medicine
ISBN: 9781119191308
Dabrowiak, J.C., Wiley 2nd ed. 2017
Text refers to: All offerings
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