CHEM 430.

002 | Biological Chemistry | Syllabus Fall 2022

Instructor on Record: Class Location: Class times:

Dr. E Brunk, PhD Genome Sciences Bldg MWF 2:30-3:20

Main Auditorium (G100)

ecbrunk@unc.edu Hybrid, synchronous

Course Description: CHEM 430 is an introduction to biological chemistry. The course covers
the study of cellular processes including catalysts, metabolism, bioenergetics, and biochemical
genetics. The structure and function of biological macromolecules involved in these processes
is emphasized. Prerequisite information and credit suitability can be found in the Undergraduate
Catalog (https://catalog.unc.edu/courses/chem/). Course prerequisites are Biology 101L,
Chemistry 262 or 262H. Requirements for class attendance and makeup exams, assignments,
and other work in this course are consistent with university policies that can be found at: LINK.

Course Type: This course is synchronous and hybrid, offers live streaming through zoom as
well as in-person lectures. All course content is available through Canvas
(https://canvas.unc.edu/).

Course Objectives:
1. Understand introductory biological chemistry principles
2. Introduce data exploration for biological applications
3. Explore current scientific literature in the field.

In this class, you will learn to think beyond memorization by using higher order thinking and
problem solving skills to understand genetic/molecular biology problems in the context of
chemistry. You will be asked to use and apply this knowledge in practical and purposeful ways,
such as through literature review and data exploration activities. While there is no formal
laboratory course, this lecture is designed so that you will get practice on theoretically designing
an experiment or hypothesizing underlying chemical and biological phenomena.

Teaching Method: This course is designed to be taken as a “Flipped Classroom.” As described

from wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flipped_classroom
“A flipped classroom is an instructional strategy and a type of blended learning, which
aims to increase student engagement and learning by having pupils complete readings
at home and work on live problem-solving during class time. With a flipped classroom,
students watch online lectures, collaborate in online discussions, or carry out [problem
solving] at home, while actively engaging concepts in the classroom, with a mentor's
guidance.”

*** Each in-class lecture will have an accompanying “pre-class lecture video” that can be
accessed via Canvas. It is the student’s responsibility to watch the pre-class lecture video and
take the “content check quiz” prior to EVERY lecture. ***

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Office Hours: MWF (1:30 – 2:20 pm) in GSB 1334 (Genome Sciences Building). You must sign
up for office hours through Canvas. Chemistry and course-content queries should be made in
person during office hours (and not by email – see below), or immediately after lectures in GSB
Rm 100 if time permits.

Email: Email is for administrative purposes only, and not for remote instruction. Course
administrative queries only can be emailed to me (from your official UNC email account:
student@unc.edu only - students must use your official @unc.edu email or have your @unc.edu
emails automatically forwarded to your preferred email address). All questions can be
addressed through Canvas.

Teaching Assistants: This course works with undergraduate peer mentors. Their role is to
answer basic questions on the course and course content. However, they are not expected to
replace the teachings of the instructor on record. Any course related content that you feel
unclear about should be addressed during office hours with the main instructor. Peer mentors
will hold mentoring and review sessions throughout the course to assist you. They may also
attend class lectures and assist during course discussions.

Required Course Material: Sci_omics Data Analysis Prep Access

Course Textbook: Biochemistry, by R. Miesfeld and M. McEvoy, 1st edition, Norton Publishing,
2017. ISBN 9780393681543

Calculators: A non programmable, scientific calculator is useful but not required for this course.
Calculators are allowed during quizzes and exams but may NOT be shared. Graphing and
programmable calculators are NOT permitted during quizzes and exams. Cell phones and other
electronic devices may NOT be used for calculations.

Attendance: It is highly recommended that students attend ALL lectures. Merely reading the
textbook from home will not suffice. Knowing concepts emphasized and practicing examples
presented in class will prove beneficial for success in the course. In the event of an unavoidable
class absence, it is the student’s responsibility to keep up with the work covered during his/her
absence. In response to the ongoing COVID pandemic, the course offers a hybrid format.
Should the student feel ANY cold or flu-like symptoms, they are STRONGLY encouraged to
attend lectures remotely via zoom.

Canvas: Through the course canvas page, you will find course activities such as online
homework problems, worksheets, quiz and exam grades, necessary course notes, and
important date reminders. Canvas may be accessed using the following website :
https://canvas.unc.edu/. It is your responsibility to check Canvas DAILY to make sure that you

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
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do not miss important announcements and to ensure that your gradebook is accurate. For
computer assistance, visit https://help.unc.edu/sp.

Online Assignments: Throughout the course, there will be 7 graded online assignments and
33 concept check quizzes. These graded assignment descriptions are as follows:
1. Three concept check multiple-choice quizzes that test the student’s understanding of
three current scientific papers that relate to course content
2. Four concept check multiple-choice quizzes that test the student’s understanding of four
data exploration exercises
3. 33 concept check quizzes that will be taken online, prior to the in-class (or remote zoom)
lecture

Concept Checks: Before each in-class lecture, students will take a concept check quiz that will
cover material from the accompanying recorded lecture video (found on the canvas page). A
total of 33 quizzes will be administered over the course of the semester, which will sum to 15%
of the final grade.

Additional practice problems: Additional practice problems and practice exams will be
available through the course Canvas page.

Exams: All students must take exams synchronously, in person. All exams will be closed notes
and individual (no collaboration allowed). Students will be allowed a clean piece of paper, a
writing utensil and a calculator. At the beginning of every exam, students are required to sign an
honor pledge and uphold it.

Exam Dates: Dec 2nd 4PM - GSB G100

Exam Absences: Absences will be handled in accordance with official UNC academic
regulations. For more information, see:
https://dos.unc.edu/student-support/class-absences-final-exam-rescheduling/.
Students whose primary major is in the College of Arts & Sciences may request an exam
excuse for one of the following reasons:

● Two final exams scheduled at the same time

● Three final exams that start within one 24-hour period
● Approved ARS accommodations that impact overall testing time
● Reasons such as religious observances or other serious problems* that conflict with a
final exam
*Students who are too ill to take an exam should contact Campus Health Services to be placed
on the Excused Examination List.

Final Grade: Your final course grade will be determined as follows:

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
3
 Concept Check Quizzes: 15%
Literature Assignments: 8%
Data exploration assignments: 10%
Mid-term Exams: 35%
Final Exam: 32%

The lowest grade for Exam 1, 2, or 3 will be dropped. The remaining two exam scores will be
averaged and will count 35% of your final grade. If you miss a semester exam for any reason,
the missed exam score will be dropped and the grade will automatically use the remaining two
exam scores in the final grade calculation. Your grade must be above 55% to pass this class.

Grade Change and Make-up Policies: All scores will be reported to 2 significant figures using
standard rules for rounding. Final letter grades will be assigned as outlined in the table below.
Final letter grades are not open for negotiation and they are final. Please do not ask to have a
grade increased because it is neither fair nor equitable to assign any grade other than the grade
that was earned. If there are transcription or math errors, please bring this to the attention of the
instructor on record immediately.

Grading values: Your final letter grade in this course will be based on the following
non-negotiable grade cut-offs:
91.5-100% = A 88.5-91.4% = A- 85.5-88.4% = B+ 81.5-85.4% = B 78.5-81.4% = B-

75.5-78.4% = C+ 71.5-75.4% = C 68.5-71.4% = D+ 59.5-68.4% = D 56.5-59.4% = D-

Information on current UNC grading policies for assigning grade points can be found at:
https://registrar.unc.edu/academic-services/grades/explanation-of-grading-system/.

Academic Honesty and the Honor Code: The Honor System forms a bond of trust among
students, faculty, and administrators. The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill operates
under a system of self-governance, as students are responsible for governing themselves. As
such, our University is transformed into a powerful community of inquiry and learning. The
Honor Code embodies the ideals of academic honesty, integrity, and responsible citizenship,
and governs the performance of all academic work a student conducts at the University.
Acceptance of an offer of admission to Carolina presupposes a commitment to the principles
embodied in our century-old tradition of honor and integrity.

Students are expected to exercise honesty and integrity at all times. Incidents of cheating,
plagiarizing/copying, submitting another person’s work as your own, having unauthorized
possession of quizzes or exams, and/or facilitating other students’ acts of academic dishonesty
plagiarism, will be taken seriously and will be dealt with in the strictest manner. Academic work

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
4
is a joint enterprise involving faculty and students. Both have a fundamental investment in the
enterprise and both must share responsibility for ensuring its integrity. In relation to the Honor
Code, therefore, specific responsibilities of the faculty which parallel the responsibilities of the
students have been formally adopted by the Faculty Council.

UNC students are bound by The Honor Code which can be found here:
https://catalog.unc.edu/policies-procedures/honor-code/. On all work submitted for credit by
students at UNC, the following pledge is either required or implied: “On my honor, I have neither
given nor received unauthorized aid in doing this assignment.” Furthermore, you are obligated
to report any condition that facilitates academic misconduct to appropriate personnel. If you
have any questions or concerns, please consult with the instructor in this class.

Collaborative Work: Collaborative work is not allowed for any graded assignment, quiz or
exam. The policy adopted by faculty of the Department of Chemistry (9/9/77) is as follows:
“Since all graded work (including homework to be collected, quizzes, papers, mid-term
examinations, final examinations, research proposals, laboratory results and reports, etc.) may
be used in the determination of academic progress, no collaboration on this work is permitted
unless the instructor explicitly indicates that some degree of collaboration is allowed. This
statement is not intended to discourage students from studying together or working together on
assignments which are not to be collected.”

Collaborative work is encouraged during in-class lectures, which will be designed so that
students can have in-depth discussions within smaller groups on relevant course material.

Academic Work Ownership: The University Committee on Copyright has received a number of
questions about the ownership of faculty lecture materials, including slides, videos, syllabi and
lecture content. Who has rights to reuse the content after it has been delivered by the creator?
Do students have the right to sell this material or post if online for any reason? May others
within the University reuse the material in the classroom or another setting without permission of
the original creator?

The Copyright Policy of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill aims to balance the
needs of the University to use employee work to fulfill its core mission with faculty expectations
that they be compensated when their works are commercialized. In the context of the Copyright
Policy lecture content (“pedagogical materials,” p.6) created by faculty or EPA non-faculty
employees is usually considered to be Traditional or Non-Directed Work. The creator owns
these materials, but the University receives from the creator a “non-exclusive, non-transferable,
royalty-free license to use the work for the University’s own education or research use.”

*** Students do not have rights to post or sell materials from a class without permission from the
original faculty member who created the material. For example, students do not have rights to
upload content that faculty have created to online learning platforms, such as Course Hero. In

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
5
addition, although students own their work, the Copyright Policy forbids them from selling
classroom notes and laboratory exercises they have created. ***

Many situations involving ownership of faculty work are complex. If you have further questions
about copyright and the classroom, please contact Anne Gilliland, Anne_Gilliland@unc.edu.
Here is the UNC copyright policy: https://library.unc.edu/scholcom/copyright/rights/ownership/
and https://unc.policystat.com/policy/4721576/latest/.

Disabilities: Students with disabilities who experience learning barriers and would like to
request academic accommodations should connect with the Accommodations Resource Center
by visiting https://ars.unc.edu/. Please share your accommodation letter with the main instructor
and discuss your access needs as early as possible in the semester. The student is responsible
for scheduling the exam dates with the ARC. Please visit their website as they have specific
guidelines and rules regarding scheduling exams. Accommodations are not retroactive,
therefore, students should contact the office as soon as possible in the term for which they are
seeking accommodations.

Feedback: Students are expected to provide feedback on the quality of instruction in this
course by completing online evaluations at:
https://curricula.unc.edu/course-evaluations/for-students/
The primary purpose of end of course evaluations is to help instructors improve their courses
and their teaching. End of course evaluations are also used as part of instructor evaluations.
Instructors and administrators take these evaluations seriously, so we encourage all students to
take the time to complete their evaluations in a thoughtful and honest manner.

Students will receive an email invitation with a direct link to their list of open evaluations on the
day evaluations open, as well as periodic reminders until they have completed all evaluations.
End of course evaluations can be accessed via ConnectCarolina. The Blue Course Evaluation
System link can be found under Student HomePage Links in ConnectCarolina.

Literature Review Activities: In this course, we will read three scientific papers. The
expectation is that you read each paper thoroughly and complete an online assignment that
tests your comprehension and understanding of the topics covered and how they relate to
course content. Two in-class lectures will be devoted to generating in-depth discussion on the
papers. Papers can be found on the course Canvas site. Once the papers are discussed in
class, the online assignment will open up on Canvas and students have 1 week to submit their
assignment. This assignment should be considered an individual effort.

Sci_omics Data Exploration Activities: In this course, we will conduct 4 data exploration
activities that introduce students to python via Jupyter Notebook frameworks. No prior
understanding of coding is necessary. Students are required to generate accounts on the
National Science Foundation (NSF) supercomputer, Cyverse, where all the software required for

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
6
the activities has been installed and tested. The four Jupyter Notebooks will serve as
“computational recipes” and will walk students through basic data analysis strategies in the
biological chemistry field. Students are expected to explore and understand the content of all
four of these workflows and their understanding will be measured based on an online
assignment, which will be due 1 week after the in-class discussion of each activity. This
assignment should be considered an individual effort. All directions for creating an account and
accessing the data modules can be found on Canvas.

Sci_omics Survey: Students are encouraged to participate in a survey that will collect data on
the effectiveness of including the data exploration activities in a large enrollment undergraduate
course. Students will receive a link to participate in a “pre” class survey, which will inquire about
the student’s level of experience with data analysis. A second “post” survey will inquire about
the student’s experience with the data exploration activities within CHEM430. In order to
improve the course, the data exploration activities, and the introduction of data analysis
techniques to the undergraduate curriculum, it is very important that we receive feedback.
Successful completion of the survey will allot 2 extra credit points to your final grade.

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
7
Tentative Class Schedule:
Due Today
Key Day Date Lesson Topic (before class)

Q1: Building Blocks

Physical
Intro / Lesson 1 properties of
1 M 8/15/2022 (Remote lecture) water CCQ #0

Data Exploration #1
(pre-recorded lecture Intro to Pandas
DE1 W 8/17/2022 only) tool CCQ #1

Micelles and
2 F 8/19/2022 Lesson 2 Lipid Bilayers CCQ #2

3 M 8/22/2022 Lesson 3 Amino Acids CCQ #3

4 W 8/24/2022 Lesson 4 Titration Curves CCQ #4, DE1

5 F 8/26/2022 Lesson 5 Peptide Bonds CCQ #5

6 M 8/29/2022 Lesson 6 Isoelectric Point CCQ #6

Protein
7 W 8/31/2022 Lesson 7 Structure CCQ #7

8 F 9/2/2022 Lesson 8 Protein Folding CCQ #8

Labor Day Holiday

M 9/5/2022 (No Classes)

Experimental
9 W 9/7/2022 Lesson 9 Methods part 1 CCQ #9

Experimental
10 F 9/9/2022 Lesson 10 Methods part 2 CCQ #10

M 9/12/2022 Exam 1 (L 1-10)

Structural
DE2 W 9/14/2022 Data Exploration #2 bioinformatics

Q2:
Structure/Function

Structure/Functi
11 F 9/16/2022 Lesson 11 on (Mb,Hb) CCQ #11

Enzyme
12 M 9/19/2022 Lesson 12 Catalysis part 1 CCQ #12

Enzyme
13 W 9/21/2022 Lesson 13 Catalysis part 2 CCQ #13, DE2

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
8
 Enzyme Kinetics
14 F 9/23/2022 Lesson 14 part 1 CCQ #14

Well-being Day
M 9/26/2022 (No Classes)

Enzyme Kinetics
15 W 9/28/2022 Lesson 15 part 2 CCQ #15

Enzyme Kinetics
16 F 9/30/2022 Lesson 16 part 3 CCQ #16

Q3: Systems

Reactions and
17 M 10/3/2022 Lesson 17 Energy CCQ #17

Overcoming
High Energy
18 W 10/5/2022 Lesson 18 Reactions CCQ #18

Glycolysis -
Energy
19 F 10/7/2022 Lesson 19 Investment CCQ #19

Glycolysis -
20 M 10/10/2022 Lesson 20 Energy Gain CCQ #20

University Day
W 10/12/2022 (No Classes)

DE3 F 10/14/2022 Exam 2 (L11-20)

Pathway
LR M 10/17/2022 Data Exploration #3 analysis

W 10/19/2022 Literature Review #1 AlphaFold2

Fall Break
F 10/21/2022 (No Classes)

Glycogen
21 M 10/24/2022 Lesson 21 Metabolism CCQ #21, LR1

22 W 10/26/2022 Lesson 22 PDC CCQ #22, DE3

23 F 10/28/2022 Lesson 23 TCA CCQ #23

24 M 10/31/2022 Lesson 24 ETC CCQ #24

25 W 11/2/2022 Lesson 25 Ox Phos CCQ #25

Q4: DNA/RNA
Processes

26 F 11/4/2022 Lesson 26 Nucleic Acids CCQ #26

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
9
 Part 1

Nucleic Acids
27 M 11/7/2022 Lesson 27 Part 2 CCQ #27

Nucleic Acids
28 T 11/8/2022 Lesson 28 Part 3 CCQ #28

DNA Replication
29 W 11/9/2022 Lesson 29 Part 1 CCQ #29

DNA Replication
30 F 11/11/2022 Lesson 30 Part 2 CCQ #30

M 11/14/2022 Exam 3 (L21-30)

DE4 W 11/16/2022 Data Exploration #4 Omics Data

Literature Review: Recon3D,

LR2-3 F 11/18/2022 #2 & #3 Omics

31 M 11/21/2022 Lesson 31 RNA processing CCQ #31, LR2

Thanksgiving Holiday
W 11/23/2022 (No Classes)

Thanksgiving Holiday
F 11/25/2022 (No Classes)

32 M 11/28/2022 Lesson 32 Transcription CCQ #32, DE4

33 W 11/30/2022 Lesson 33 Translation CCQ #33, LR3

F 12/2/2022 Final Exam

Important Dates:
8/19/2022 - Last Day for Late Registration
8/26/2022 - Last Day to Drop/Add w/o "W" grade (Important Dates UNC Fall2022)
11/30/2022 - Last Day of classes
12/7/2022 - Reading Days

*** Disclaimer: This syllabus represents current plans and objectives. As we go through the semester, those plans
may need to change to enhance the class learning opportunity. The instructor reserves the right to make corrections,
additions and/or deletions to the syllabus as the above information may be subject to change. Such changes,
communicated clearly, are not unusual and should be expected.
10