The course will focus on the following topics:

1. Structure: intermolecular interactions, structure of biomolecules, experimental methods in structural biology (i.e., X-ray crystallography, NMR, cryo-electron microscopy), structural classification, protein structure prediction using genomic data and machine learning.

2. Dynamics: elements of statistical mechanics, molecular mechanics of biomolecules, molecular simulations, molecular binding and free energy calculations.

3. Selected topics: protein design and engineering; protein folding, molecular docking, integrative modeling; structure-based drug discovery, machine learning for structural biology.

Practicals and projects will run in parallel to lectures to have a first-hand experience on molecular visualization, major structural biology techniques, molecular modeling, protein design, biomolecular mechanics and dynamics, structure-based drug design, protein interaction networks, macromolecular assemblies, protein structure predictions using AlphaFold.

Structural biology, X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, NMR, AlphaFold, SAXS, integrative modeling, molecular modeling, molecular mechanics, molecular simulation, protein structure prediction, protein folding, protein design, drug discovery, machine learning.

Basic bachelor courses on Maths, Physics, Molecular Biology and Biochemistry

Structural biology and biochemistry of biomoleculaes. Classical mechanics, themodynamics, and electrostatics (Physics I, II, III), Organic Chemistry.

• Explore the structure of biomolecules (and their interactions)
• Predict the structure and dynamics of proteins
• Design the structure of proteins
• Visualize biomolecules
• Interpret structural data
• Choose the appropriate method to tackle a problem
• Design a project in structural biology
• Make a scientific report and presentation

• Make an oral presentation.
• Write a scientific or technical report.
• Use a work methodology appropriate to the task.
• Demonstrate the capacity for critical thinking
• Use both general and domain specific IT resources and tools

Half of the course is based on lectures, while in the other half practical experiences and projects (computational and experimental) are provided to the students.

Attending lectures, completing practical experiences, reading assignments, presenting a scientific paper, developing a project, writing a report, presenting the results of a project

Assignments and projects assessment during the semester

• https://go.epfl.ch/BIO-315https://go.epfl.ch/BIO-315