CM4236 - Spectroscopy & Imaging in Biophysical Chemistry

Academic Year 24/25 - Semester 2

Assessments:

Homework: 20%
Class Test: 30%
Paper Presentation: 20%
Finals: 25%

Lecturer(s): Asst. Prof Winston Zhao

Course Overview:

Summarised as "fundamental concepts and techniques from physical chemistry that are most relevant to biology, and apply them to a variety of biomolecular and cellular systems.", which are taught in a “Concept–Technique–Application” triad.

No. of Responses : 1

Course Difficulty (1-5): 4

Time for learning content (hrs): 3

Time to complete assignments (hrs): 6

Course Pace: Just right

REVIEW
What advice would you give to someone considering to take this course?

DolleEicir: You really need to be consistent with the module to make it work, as the homeworks are heavy and take time to solve them. The final paper assignment is also significant, as it is a culmination of everything learnt throughout the course, where you are tasked to write "an in-depth review and analysis of a topic relevant to what we have covered but not specifically discussed in class", which are based on at least 10 original research papers, and modelled after a typical review paper. The upcoming lecture often requires some concepts that were learnt in the previous lectures, so it is best to be caught up with the latest lecture before moving on to the next one. Else, really fun to learn about a specific field using PChem, which is the beauty of PChem electives as you look beyond just its theory and more into its applications.

What did you enjoy or find most useful from this course?

DolleEicir: The nature of the content is really interesting, as it takes what you have learnt in the 2nd half of CM3131 (e.g. extend the applications of fluorescence to various imaging techniques). More than that, you get to understand how biological samples can be imaged, visualised and seen (so cool!), but also appreciate the theoretical basis and the history of the people that developed this field of study.
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What aspects of the course did you find most challenging, and why?

DolleEicir: Assignments were definitely heavy, because they required you to take time to plan and think through on how to do them.

What resources did you find most helpful in helping you better understand the course material?

DolleEicir: NA, asking Prof Winston is the best. His slides are really clear and well-organised.

What other courses do you think should be taken before or concurrently with this course?

DolleEicir: CM3131 is highly suggested to be taken concurrently with CM4236 to complement your learning for both courses, as fluorescence taught in the 2nd half of CM3131 would help greatly in understanding the beginning parts of CM4236. I did both CM3131 and CM4236 concurrently, so it is definitely doable and plausible. Having additional knowledge about cell biology is good but not needed, as it will be taught as and when needed

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