- pharmacology home
- personnel directory
- faculty research
- graduate training
- postdoctoral training
- professional courses
- research facilities
- seminars
What is Pharmacology?
Discover Charleston
THE MASTER'S DEGREE IN PHARMACOTECHNOLOGY
Note: the following is a draft version of the program's schedule; changes may still be made prior to August, 2007.
Ten to 15 students will be admitted to the program, which will prepare them for a career in science that emphasizes new drug discovery. In the first year, students participate in courses that extend and integrate the undergraduate education in the biological sciences that students will have upon entry into the program. Concurrently, there is training in the fundamental laboratory techniques that are necessary for work in a drug discovery laboratory.
Fall Semester:
Foundations of Biomedical Sciences - A didactic course that stresses the interrelationships among biochemical, molecular, and cellular mechanisms.
Nucleic Acids Proteins Metabolism and Bioenergetics Receptors and Signaling Gene Expression Genetics and Genomics Essential Scientific Practices - Training in data management, safe laboratory practices, and responsible conduct of research.
Laboratory Techniques in Drug Discovery Research
Introduction to basic laboratory techniques Sterile technique Recombinant DNA (plasmid preparation, gel electrophoresis, use of restriction enzymes and other modifying enzymes) DNA sequencing Mutagenesis RNA preparation PCR, real-time PCR Genomics: detection and analysis of SNPs Spring Semester:
Foundations of Biomedical Sciences - continued
Cell Functions Cell Injury/Response Systems Biology Seven-week selective: Drug-Receptor Interactions
Pharmacokinetics Receptors and Pharmacodynamics Pharmacogenomics Adverse Drug Reactions Autonomics - Adrenergics Autonomics - Cholinergics Cardiovascular Drugs General Anesthetics Pain Control Antibiotics Cancer Drugs Endocrine Drugs Laboratory Techniques - continued
Tissue culture Drug-receptor interactions Ligand binding assays Analysis of agonist/antagonist activity Transfection of mammalian cells Transfection used to analyze drug agonist/antagonist activity Cell growth/cell viability assays to asses toxicity Preparation of viral vectors P3 biosafety containment Transduction of viral vectors into tissue culture cells Exposure to high-throughput screening (?) Summer Semester:
Biostatistics - Applied statistics for the research scientist
Laboratory Techniques
Principles of HPLC Sample preparation Small molecules Peptides Protein characterization Protein isolation and purification 1D/2D Gel electrophoresis and immunoblotting Enzymatic digestion and analysis of peptides by LC-MS Peptide sequencing and protein identification Enzyme kinetics Didactic training in the second year is more specialized, as the student learns fundamental principles of pharmacology and toxicology, and laboratory training emphasizes research techniques using live animals. Fall Semester (2nd year):
Lab Animal Science
Ethics, Laws, and Regulations in Animal Research IACUC Function Radiation/Chemical Safety Occupational Health and Safety/Infectious Disease Control Biology, Diseases, and Care of Rodents Fundamentals of Transgenic Animal Production Cryopreservation/Transgenic Techniques Wet Lab- Restraint and Bleeding Techniques/Mice, Rabbits Principles of Anesthesia and Aseptic Surgery Wet Lab - Rodent Anesthesia Large Animals/Rabbits Analgesia, Euthanasia Organ Systems Toxicology - Teaches the adverse effects of foreign chemicals, and the physiological defenses against those effects. This course complements work in the laboratory that uses animals to demonstrate methods that analyze the effects of drugs in a living system (schedule attached).
Principles of Toxicology and Toxicokinetics Liver/Digestive System Blood Kidney Reproductive Systems Skin Immune System Respiratory System Cardiovascular System Eye Central Nervous System Auditory System Animal handling techniques
Swindle courses - to be arranged Basic handling (sex ID and tracking) Routes of administration and blood sampling Survival surgery Anesthesia Aseptic technique Appropriate use of instruments Effective hemostasis Correct use of suture materials and patterns Genotyping Necropsy and preparation of tissues for histopathology Principles of small molecule (i.e., metabolite) identification (LC-MS, NMR) and quantitation (analytical HPLC and GC)
In vitro systems (e.g., liver microsomes/hepatocytes) In vivo drug disposition/pharmacokinetics
Gene therapy
Spring Semester (2nd year):
Internship in a pharmaceutical company
Further information regarding the program may be obtained by writing to Donald H. Miller, Ph.D., in the Department of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology.
top of page