Drug design and synthesis
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This course presents the strategy underpinning the design and synthesis of pharmaceutical molecules used to diagnose and treat diseases and illnesses. It focuses on the design of drug molecules, with emphasis on the shape and structure using molecular modelling software. Enzyme and receptor protein targets are examined, together with the mechanisms by which the drugs work. The course explores the array of chemical reactions and strategies for the synthesis of a range of drugs. Case studies including anti-cholesterol and antibiotic drugs illustrate the importance of these strategies in the development of modern medicines.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Science.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | S346 |
| Credits | 20 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Register for the course
This course is available for study in the countries shown. Fees and financial support may vary by country.
What you will study
Organic chemistry is a subject that impacts on our daily lives in many different ways but none perhaps more so than in the production of drugs and healthcare products. ‘Histamine discovery could help insomniacs’; ‘Drug may reverse MS brain damage’; ‘Statins prevent artery aging’; these headlines from the media draw attention to progress in the development of new substances for use in healthcare and disease-prevention. Of equal significance is the increasing insight into the molecular basis of many diseases that has deepened the understanding of how drug molecules interact with molecular targets such as proteins. This insight is one of the key drivers behind much of the design and development of new drugs. The course explores, using case studies and online multimedia tools, the many facets of the complex process involved in the discovery, design and synthesis of such substances.
The course is designed to stimulate your interest in, and increase your knowledge and understanding of, organic chemistry through its role in the design and synthesis of molecules with medical applications. It introduces a wide range of reactions in use today for the synthesis of organic compounds in chemical research and in industry.
The detailed aims of the course are to:
- Introduce a range of organic reactions of particular value for the synthesis of given molecules with specified structures and stereochemistry. The emphasis is on modern reactions capable of a high degree of selectivity and on the mechanistic basis of that selectivity.
- Introduce the concepts of drug and receptor interactions and the role the shape and physical properties of a drug play in this interaction. Molecular modelling will show the effect that modifying these properties has on the interaction and how this can inform the drug design process.
- Engage you, through case studies, to the process of selecting and synthesising likely drug molecules and consider in a variety of factors that require evaluation of two or more different routes to the same compound.
- Improve your skills as an independent learner by gradually introducing more unstructured materials; for example, developing your ability to extract information from the chemical literature and use databases and molecular modelling to solve a given problem to do with the design and synthesis of drug target compounds.
The course is arranged in ten units, divided into two parts. The first part deals with drug design and discovery and covers topics including molecular modelling, protein structure, enzymes and receptors, and the pharmacokinetics of drug action, enzyme kinetics, drug adsorption, distribution, excretion, metabolism and toxicity. Treatments of electronic theory and stereochemistry illustrate the principles of the shape, reactivity and stability of the drug molecules and how these determine the interaction with a protein target.
The second part focuses on the synthesis of drug molecules. The rationale of synthetic strategies is discussed, providing the basis for understanding a wide variety of types of reaction and of organic reactivity in general; special attention is given to the use of selective reactions to achieve a particular molecular transformation.
The case studies illustrate in detail the use of both theoretical concepts and synthetic techniques developed in the course.
Entry
This is a Level 3 course. Level 3 courses build on study skills and subject knowledge acquired from previous studies at Levels 1 and 2. They are intended only for students who have recent experience of higher education in a related subject, preferably with the OU.
You are advised to prepare yourself for this course by taking our key introductory Level 1 course, Exploring science (S104), and at Level 2, The molecular world (S205). These will have covered most of the necessary background. You can get an idea of the level required by looking at the S205 study material. Your regional or national centre will be able to tell you where you can see reference copies, or you can buy selected materials from Open University Worldwide Ltd.
It is essential that you establish whether or not your background and experience give you a sound basis on which to tackle the course, since students who are appropriately prepared have the best chance of completing their studies successfully. The Science Faculty has produced a booklet Are You Ready For S346? to help you to decide whether you already have the recommended background knowledge or experience to start the course or whether you need a little extra preparation. This can be viewed or printed from the Are you ready for science? website.
If you have any doubt about the suitability of the course, please contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service.
If you have a disability or additional requirement
Written transcripts of any audio components and Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) versions of printed material are available. Some Adobe PDF components may not be available or fully accessible using a screen reader (mathematical and scientific materials may be particularly difficult to read in this way). Other alternative formats of the study materials may be available in the future. Our Services for disabled students website has the latest information about availability.
A number of the learning outcomes for the course are underpinned by concepts that depend on ideas supported by a mixture of complex figures, schematics, tables, mathematical and chemical equations and reaction schemes. Achieving these learning outcomes may be challenging if a student has severe visual impairment. Students concerned about the visual aspects of the course should contact their regional adviser for more information. Students who use specialist hardware and software or those with queries about other additional needs can also contact their adviser for assistance or advice.
If you are a new student, or new to courses using a computer or the internet, you will need to inform us of your particular needs as soon as possible, as some of our support services may take several weeks to arrange. Details of how to do this and our range of support services are described in our publication Meeting your needs.
You can also find information about accessible study materials, financial support and the Disabled Students' Allowance, equipment and other services, on our Services for disabled students website. It also includes our contact details for advice and support both before you register and while you are studying.
Study materials
What's included
Course books, other printed materials, DVD, course website and online forums.
You will need
To engage in the online tutorials you will also need a headset with microphone. Broadband internet access is desirable.
Computing requirements
This course includes online computer activities – you can access these using a web browser that can play Flash and Shockwave. Some of your course software will be provided on disk.
You will need internet access and a computer. If you have purchased a new Windows computer since 2005 it should meet your course computing requirements. Check our Technical Requirements section if your computer is older than this or is otherwise unusual. Please note that you cannot use an Apple Mac or Linux computer unless it is running Windows using Boot Camp or similar dual-boot system.
Teaching and assessment
Support from your tutor
You will have a tutor who will help you with the study material and mark and comment on your written work, and whom you can ask for advice and guidance. The course forum will provide continuous study support, act as a virtual self-help group and enable students to support one another. We will also offer online tutorials, in which you are encouraged to participate.
Contact our Student Registration & Enquiry Service if you want to know more about study with The Open University before you register.
Assessment
The assessment details for this course can be found in the facts box above.
You must use the online eTMA system to submit your tutor-marked assignments (TMAs).
The TMAs have a total workload equivalent of two full TMAs.
Professional recognition
This course may help you to gain recognition from a professional body. You can view or download our Recognition leaflets 3.3 Professional Engineering Institutions, 3.4 Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management and 3.8 Scientific Institutions for further information.
Students also studied
Students who studied this course also studied at some time:
Future availability
The details given here are for the course that starts in October 2012. We expect it to be available once a year.
Fees 2012
See fees and funding options for study from September 2012.
Course facts
An undergraduate course in Science.
| About this course: | |
|---|---|
| Course code | S346 |
| Credits | 20 |
| OU Level | 3 |
| SCQF level | 10 |
| FHEQ level | 6 |
| Course work includes: |
|---|
| 4 Tutor-marked assignments (TMAs) |
| 1 Interactive computer-marked assignment (iCMA) |
| End-of-module assessment |
| No residential school |
Study explained
- Financial support
- - find out if you qualify for support with your fees with our eligibility checker.
- Study explained
- - all you need to know about distance learning with the OU.
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