Drug Design & Synthesis
Drug Design & Synthesis
Truly being about chemistry in an interdisciplinary drug context, in the specialization Drug Design and Synthesis you will focus on computer-aided drug design and organic synthesis of novel biologically active compounds. You will work with state-of-the-art computational approaches and the newest synthesis, purification and compound characterization equipment. Your classes will reveal how to reap the fruits of life science research and will guide you along the way to become an innovative computational designer and/or medicinal synthetic chemist. Uniquely, you can choose to devote your main attention to organic synthesis, to computational design, or to a combination of both.
Programme components
- Compulsory courses (30)
- Compulsory choice course (6)
- Major research project (42)
- Literature thesis and colloquium (12)
- Ethics & academic skills (6)
- Elective: minor research project; abroad/company; optional courses (24)
Course overview
| Period | Month | Course component (EC) | Category |
| 1 | Sep – Oct | Drug Action (6) | Compulsory course |
| Chemical Biology (6) | Compulsory course | ||
| Physical-Organic Chemistry (6) | Compulsory course | ||
| 2 | Nov – Dec | Drug Induced Stress and Cellular Response (6) | Compulsory choice * |
| 3 | Jan | ||
| 4 | Feb – Mar | Computational Design and Synthesis of Drugs (6) | Compulsory course |
| ADME Processes and Toxic Side Effects (6) | Compulsory choice * | ||
| 5 | Apr – May | Synthetic Approaches in Medicinal Chemistry (6) | Compulsory course |
| 6 | Jun |
* Compulsory choice: choose 1 out of 2 courses
Research topics
In the specialization Drug Design & Synthesis, you can work on diverse research topics within the context of computer-aided drug design and organic synthesis.
Synthesis of organic compounds for fundamental and applied medicinal research
Our synthetic chemists use state-of-the-art synthetic equipment and a large diversity of reaction types to prepare novel organic molecules, many of which are heterocyclic compounds. Collaborations with pharmacologists allow elucidation of the biological activity of these compounds. The resulting insights pave the way to further synthesis of exciting new organic compounds that help in unraveling cell processes and may serve as potential medicines.
Computational modeling of organic compounds and their interaction with protein targets
Our computational chemists use protein sequences, protein crystal structures and conformations of organic molecules to generate three-dimensional models of protein-ligand complexes with state-of-the-art computational chemistry technologies. These in silico models lead to a better molecular understanding of ligand-protein interactions. In turn, this enables virtual screening for new organic ligands, paving the way for improved medicines.
Efficiently traveling in ‘chemical space’: Fragment-Based Drug Discovery
In this emerging drug discovery approach, the synergy between computational design and organic synthesis is at its finest. In Fragment-Based Drug Discovery, small molecules (fragments) that bind to the biological target are identified and the fragments are grown step-by-step into new efficient ligands through an intimate design and synthesis process. We apply Fragment-Based Drug Discovery to a variety of protein targets (G-protein coupled receptors, kinases, ion channels, etc.) that are important in a range of therapeutic areas (inflammation, cancer, neglected diseases, flu and antibiotics).
Contact
If you would like to know more about the specialization Drug Design & Synthesis, please contact the master coordinator:
Dr. Maikel Wijtmans
Phone: +31 20 59 87603
E-mail: m.wijtmans@vu.nl
