Hey guys!

Here's a Q&A put together in the hopes of helping everyone entering/thinking of going into Chem Bio. This is a fantastic program, let no one tell you otherwise; however, there are a few common misconceptions about the program which need to be cleared up. Rather than inferring things about what the Program is like, I think it'd be best if people who are actually in the program spoke on its behalf.

If you have any further questions (other than the ones which are addressed, post them in this thread and I am sure myself, Lauren, or other Chemical Biologists will be happy to help!)

Here it is.


What is chemical biology?

In crude terms, chemical biology is a discipline at the interface of biological sciences and the physical sciences. As my time in the program goes on, it seems that everyone has their own definition of what being a chemical biologist actually is! This makes sense, seeing as Chemical Biology is rather broad in scope (despite commonly being referred to as a highly ‘specific’ program).

You may or may not have caught onto my use of the word ‘interface’ (a term that, in itself, is not very definitive at all). In chemical biology, we are not limited to a set of tools or instrumentation we can use to solve or approach a given problem. We are also not limited to the problems we are able to solve, either. Chemical biologists has been described before as being able to have “dreams” different from those of chemists or biologists. What does that mean? Scientifically-speaking, biologists live in a world with three dimensions: DNA, RNA and proteins... all these dimensions are clearly interconnected and the manipulation of one can, and will, have an effect on the other two. However, chemical biologists introduce a ‘chemistry-based’ fourth dimension (i.e. ‘small molecules’) which can regulate (OR be regulated by) the other three dimensions in a biological system. This means that we can introduce small molecules to modulate the biological system, OR we can use the biological system to make small molecules (which could in turn regulate the biological system).


Classic question: “What’s the difference between Chemical Biology and Biochemistry? They’re, like, the same thing, right? You just switched the ‘Chem’ and the ‘Bio’ parts! [insert laugh here]”

Oh, hilarious. The question is so original that you will not hear enough of it (yes, therefore not original at all). Best thing is when the same person asks you the question multiple times (but of course on different occasions, so that you “don’t know” they’re asking you again). Basically, it’s like this:

Biochemistry
What is it? Chemistry applied to biology; studying the chemistry of biomolecules.
Example 1: The structure of the protein determines its function.
Example 2: On/off control of biological activity; mutagenesis of a gene could lead to a gene product (protein, or other) with a different biological activity.

Chemical Biology
What is it? Chemical techniques applied to investigate and manipulate a biological system. By manipulating a system (i.e. ‘probing’ it, with small molecules, etc.) you can learn a lot more about how it actually works.
Example 1: The protein’s function is determined by its structure, chemical modifications, cell physiology, other protein’s present, external environmental stimuli/conditions, etc.
Example 2: Modulation of biological activity; a small molecule or peptidomimetic can serve to alter the gene product’s biological activity in a dose-dependent manner.

A more elaborate answer was provided on MacInsiders:

Biochem: the nitty-gritty chemistry of biological systems--this includes stuff like glycolysis and the krebs cycle (from high school), but it goes WAYYY beyond that as well. I think the other biochem stuff covered in high school was DNA replication, and transcription/translation. biochem focuses more on understanding how biological systems work, and then how we can use that knowledge for useful things--ex, if I know the pathway for repairing DNA damage caused by UV light, I can look at ways of stimulating this pathway to decrease the risk of skin cancer. There are more pathways involved, and it is DEFINITELY more biology-based. biochemists look at proteins' structures and how the structure affects its function.

Chembio: how small molecules affect/interact with biological systems. this includes looking at the specific functional groups that make a molecule a good drug, and WHY these functional groups are effective. There is a lot of focus on synthesizing molecules for whatever purpose you want, as well as extracting very complex molecules from natural sources (these often make the best drugs). Proteins are useful to a chemical biologist as targets for small molecules--this often requires knowledge of the protein structure, and dealing with protein targets is the biggest way in which chembio and biochem/bio will overlap. For example, if I know an enzyme that interferes with the DNA repair pathway, I can find a small molecule to inhibit that enzyme to decrease the risk of skin cancer.

There is a great deal of overlap in the second-year courses for biochem & chembio, but third and fourth year are very different. chembio is CHEMISTRY, with a biological application. In practise (like, in research) chemical biologists and biochemists often work on the same problems, but with different approaches and often different methods.

Chembio is mostly 'perturb and observe', meaning we add a small molecule or something (perturb the system) and observe the effect.
Biochem is more 'wreck and check'--for example, irradiating a sample to cause a ton of different mutations (wrecking the system), and searching for/isolating the one with the effect you want.

I heard Chemical Biology was hard... is this true?

Chemical biology is an interdisciplinary science. As mentioned in the first section (“What is chemical biology?”) you can see that chemical biology encompasses DNA, RNA, proteins and small molecules. Accordingly, you will find that the areas which are studied in this program are rather broad since chemical biology is in fact a ‘holistic’, rather than a ‘reductionistic‘ science. By definition, a holistic science suggests that (biological) systems work as an entity, and you cannot study only one component of the system if you wish to understand the entire (biological) system. In order to understand each component of the system you are investigating, this program has you study various realms of biology and chemistry.
If you put in the effort, you should be fine. Also, take advantage of all the resources you have to help you (classmates, professors). The hardest part of being in this program is adjusting to what the program actually entails.

But how, course-wise, is this program different from, say, Chemistry, Biochemistry, or Biology & Pharmacology?

Look at the courses listed under each of the above-mentioned programs. After you look through, you’ll notice a few things. Note that I have not included ALL of the courses in any of these programs. Highlighted are the courses in OTHER programs which are also taken by Chemical Biologists.

Chemistry
Under the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.
Relatively small program (~20-30 people admitted per year)
Courses include Quantitative Chemical Analysis, Organic Chemistry (exclusive to the Program), In-organic Chemistry, Structure and Reactivity of Organic Molecules, Synthesis and Function of Organic Molecules, Equilibria and Kinetics, Inquiry, Lab Course, Chemical Analysis, Introduction to Transition Metal Chemistry, Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy, Strategies for Chemical Discovery (labs), Applications of Chemical Inquiry, Proteins and Nucleic Acids.
There is a co-op program OPTION. You would be admitted into this program in your 3rd year, should you apply in 2nd year.
Notes: Many of the courses listed are equivalents of the Organic Chemistry, Analytical Chemistry and Physical Chemistry Courses taken in Chemical Biology. Yes, they will have more courses about these things seeing as the program is called ‘Chemistry’.

Biochemistry
Under the Department of Biochemistry and Biomedical Sciences
Option of Specializations (Biotechnology, Biomedical Sciences, Origins Research, or stay in the Honours Program)
Relatively large program (if you stay in the Honours Program; this becomes significantly smaller if you choose to specialize)
Courses include Nucleic Acid Structure/Function, Protein Structure / Enzyme Function, Cell Biology, Genetics (not required after this year), Full-year lab course, Bio-physical Chemistry, Organic Chemistry I and II, Metabolism and Regulation, Statistics, Analytical Chemistry, Gene regulation and Stem Cell Development, Advanced Topics in Gene Expression.
There is a co-op program OPTION. You would be admitted into this program in your 3rd year, should you apply in 2nd year.
Many of the courses in this program are available to students who are not in this program (not the lab courses or research projects though).
Note: We share a lot of the same courses with them, plus some others which they do not take. One big difference is that in Chem Bio you take Analytical Chemistry with 3rd year Biochemistry students.

Biology & Pharmacology
Under the Department of Biology.
Small program (~20 people are admitted per year); small faculty.
Courses include Proteins and Nucleic Acids, Cell Physiology, Homeostasis, Regulatory Systems, Introduction to Pharmacology (Pharmacokinetics/Pharmacodynamics), Methods in Pharmacology (study of drugs in vitro), Receptor-Drug Interactions, Principles in Toxicology, Senior Thesis, Advanced Topics in Pharmacology.
This is a co-op program to which you would be admitted after 2nd year (if you apply)
Many of the courses in this program are exclusive for the people in the program
Note: You cannot take Proteins and Nucleic Acids if you have taken Nucleic Acid Structure/Function and Protein Structure/Enzyme Function, both of which are requirements of the Chemical Biology Program. No, we don’t share a lot of the same courses.

Chemical Biology
Under the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Small program (~30 people have been admitted per year); small faculty.
Courses include Analytical Chemistry, the 2nd Year Lab Course (Standard Tools/Techniques of Chemical Biology), Cell Biology, Nucleic Acid Structure/Function, Bio-physical Chemistry, Protein Structure/Enzyme Function, Genetics, Bio-organic Chemistry, Biomolecular Interactions, Inquiry for Chemical Biology, 3rd Year Lab Course, Structural Elucidation, Assay Development, Bio-inorganic Chemistry, Natural Products, Medicinal Chemistry: Drug Design and Development, Organic Chemistry I and II, Organic Synthesis, Metabolism and Regulation, Bio-inorganic Chemistry, Thesis or Research Project, Instrumental Analysis.
There is an OPTION to enter a co-op program after your 2nd year.



“The drop-out rate is so high for the program!”

I really believe that this is because a lot of people go into this program not really knowing what they are actually getting themselves into. You should always look at the COURSES which are provided by a particular program, rather than just a general program description, to decide whether or not something will be interesting to you. Of course there will always be courses that you like less than others... but you should always like the majority of them. If you decide that Chemical Biology is not for you - that’s fine!
Just know that:
This is a new program (students entering the program in the 2010/2011 academic year will be the 3rd year of the program, ever). Changes to courses are constantly being made.
You’ll be expected to work. Complaining is, quite possibly, a form of procrastination. So don’t do it and you’ll be done your work a lot faster.
The first semester in second year (the adjustment period) will probably be the hardest. After that, it gets easier.


“Why do I have no electives?!”
You have one elective 2nd year. A few more third year. A lot during your fourth year. Believe it or not, you probably won’t know what to do with all your elective space in fourth year. Also, be smart about the courses you are taking and when you take them. Some courses are only offered every other year (this is more relevant for 3rd/4th year courses).

Are there other Chemical Biology Programs - are we the only ones?
No.. here is a list of some other institutions which offer Chemical Biology programs:
http://community.acs.org/ChemBiol/WI...t/Default.aspx


Sarrah

Originally Posted by goodnews.inc

I know Lauren and Sarrah and a few other regular posters have been quite helpful assisting the 2013 Chem Bio class but I have another series of questions

I know the CSD is helpful in time management and I do intend to speak with them this year because I've noticed that:

• My hours in class (lab inclusive) have gone up from 18 and 12 (term 1 and term 2) to 21 and 24 respectively.
• I understand part of this is because I'm taking Bio 2A03 which has a pretty long lab but since it's not offered in the summer and the course material seems truly fascinating, I'm deciding to stick with it.
• Classes are spaced quite awkwardly with a good amount of random breaks at times.

So my questions pertain to time management advice.
I'll be CA-ing next year, volunteering and going to class and I was wondering if I should leave it at that or take a dance class I'm interested in (1 hour per week) or ease into my schedule instead.
As well, I may have the opportunity to pursue a research position in a lab (time commitment unknown yet) and I was wondering if I could get any feedback about that if possible.

Another thing that's concerning me is social time and just time to take a break.
I used to commute from Mississauga and I'll be on res this year which frees up 2 to 3 hours per day. I suppose 2.5 x 5 = 12.5 + 12.5 = 25 which is more hours of time "used" up last year than any of my terms this year.

While I know that a bit of it is schedule fright because it just looks a bit intense and things will get more familiar as school begins, the lab, dance class and social times (with non Chem Bios) are the things I'm more worried about, though advice about any aspect is greatly appreciated.

My last question is about CB 2L03 and CB 2Q03; while I never timed it, assuming the 3 hour a week per course rule holds true, I was wondering whether inquiry and labs had the same kind of work required of them as Organic Chem for instance. I've never taken an inquiry course and I was wondering if they both had exams or whether the work was assessed throughout the year

I know it's survivable (Schedules of pain: see iSci and Engineering) but again any and all help is greatly welcome

Thank you

Alright, so you're CA-ing, volunteering (time commitment?), going to classes, going to dance classes and may have a research position. Cool. Did you take organic chemistry in the summer or are you taking it during the year?

Chemical Biology, the first semester of your 2nd year, WILL be the most difficult for you because you will be adjusting to a workload that is much greater than that of first year. First year was a lot of things being repeated from High School, but now you will be essentially LEARNING HOW TO LEARN. Chem Bio does not have PBL.. it is VERY individual-based learning, and I would suggest studying in groups in order to get through all the material you need to learn/get through.

I haven't looked at the timetable for 2nd year Chem Bio students, but I'm assuming it's rather similar to what we had last year. They're all pretty work-intensive..
1. Analytical Chemistry (you're a 2nd year in a class of 3rd year Biochem students.. the Prof has really high expectations of students as well. There's a lot of information in this course, and it is ALL relevant. Also, if you're looking for a course where it takes you 10-20 hours to get through a 10 question assignment.. this is it! And you do have the option of not doing assignments and having that part of your grade come from your exam. DON'T DO IT.)
2. Organic Chemistry (I took this in the summer before 2nd year, so I took the 3rd year Orgo instead. This course isn't that bad.. with a good prof and a good work ethic you will do fine. But again, there's a lot of information)
3. Physical Chemistry (it's not so bad.. but in general people don't like Thermodynamics. Just pretend you're really into it and don't procrastinate with studying and you'll be fine)
4. Inquiry Course - 2Q03 (my favourite! haha - it was a lot of work, especially as project deadlines approached.. there were 3 projects and one individual project is worth 50% of your final grade)
5. Biochem 2B03 (Very different from the other courses you are taking.. you learn about DNA and RNA.. enough said).
All in all, your first semester is going to be a lot of work (esp. Analytical and Inquiry), a lot of group projects (Biochem, Inquiry, one for Phys Chem if its the same as previous years). Yes, the classes might not be dispersed very well at all.. but make sure you stay on the ball throughout the semester. It is SO easy to get left behind if you don't. Not trying to scare you though.. if you have an excellent work ethic, and are very intelligent then you'll be fine. Just know that we are all human and, as such, susceptible to lapses in focus, or just frustration etc.
I'd say split your day into chunks. Classes and studying should be done during the day (when you're most alert). CA duties, dance classes, research stuff and volunteering should be done on the weekends or in the evenings because (yes this might sound bad) they require less mental focus. I was an IRC Hall Rep last year and I found that having going to meetings requires a different part of your brain than intellectual activities. It took me a while to figure that out, so just learn from my mistakes, take my word for it and DO YOUR WORK DURING THE DAY. Also, sleep. It's a good thing.
It's really good that you want to have various things going on in your life.. it'll give you time to breathe from Science! I'm the IRC VP Communications this year, will probably be TA'ing Chem labs, and be one of the third year Chem Bio reps.. if you're anything like me you NEED to get away from Science a bit of the time to stay interested in it! Too much of anything isn't good for anyone!
And.. your last question regarding 2L03 (Chem Bio lab course) and comparing that to Orgo labs. No.. they are very different. In orgo labs, you are given exact protocols and things work out. The syntheses don't work pretty much ONLY if you forget a reagent or something (i.e. you weren't thinking at all while doing it), but if you're off by 0.1g in adding one reagent or something then it won't matter. You are not marked on your results per se, but rather on your understanding of concepts. It's pretty easy to kill those pre-lab questions!!
In 2L03, you have to make up protocols. Though you ARE given a general one to follow, you need to use your knowledge of chemistry to figure out what to do next. Case in point: you need to make your own compound derivative (making YOUR derivative may be very different from someone else because they are very different in chemical properties, or another reason which you can't explain.. you know, because theory does not equal reality sometimes). You have to VALIDATE that you have your product (through NMR, IR.. don't worry if you don't know what these are.. you will find out). Then you need to write a lab report to discuss everything (failures, successes, etc.). Apart from this, you need to do some protein purification using a variety of techniques, as well as extract a specific compound with a specific biological activity from a natural product.. then validate that you have that compound, test it against the enzyme you know it is supposed to inhibit, and write a lab report about your findings. There are two lab reports in total, one's worth 10%, and the other one is worth 20% of your final mark I believe. Pre-labs are a huge chunk of your mark, as is lab performance (there are pre-labs every week.. just like in orgo).

Anyways! I AM NOT TRYING TO SCARE YOU. A lot of this sounds a lot harder than it actually is! Personally, when I look back, it wasn't so bad. And you know what? I grew so much as a person and scientist while doing it. When I tell you that Chem Bio teaches you HOW to think... I'm not kidding. It does. Great for those of us who abhor memorizing things from a textbook and regurgitating it during midterms and exams!

If you have any questions, ask away! We'll probably meet sometime during the year anyways, haha.

Sarrah

Thanks Sarrah That really does help a lot.
We have:
Term 1: CB 2P03, 2Q03, 2A03, 2OA3, and Biochem 2B03
Term 2: CB 2L03, 2OB3, BC 2BB3, Bio 2B03 and 20A3 is my elective.

I know 2nd term has three more class hours for me but I'm wondering whether to take dance 2nd semester instead of first semester just so that I'm leave myself an adjustment period.
I ensured that my first term of university was really light in terms of out of class work (which gave me time to adjust to the commute, handle being sick etc) and it seemed to work out well for me then.
I figure the commute time/commute downtime that I've eliminated will be made up for with volunteering and CA work.

I didn't really rely that intensely on high school knowledge for first year partly because I graduated a semester early and went through about 8 months of no academic work. My day last year looked like this (see attachments):
I'd often get up at 6:45 or even 6 AM for an 8:30 AM class. I'd wait anywhere between 10 and 20 minutes to catch a bus that took 40 minutes where I'd wait anywhere between 0 minutes to half an hour to get a ride, which would take anywhere between 10 minutes to 30 minutes to get home.

So max commute time would be: a wasted 4.5 hours, not including the hour or two I would need to unwind at home before I could begin work

Min commute time: 2.75 hours, with another unwinding hour

i survived that year alright including the respiratory infections I got that would knock me out for a week or so, so I'm a lot less terrified this year just because I have a lot less medical problems and I save an immense amount of time plus a lot more time to sleep (even with CA-ing).

I haven't really been swamped with work save those weeks where I decided finishing all the seasons of the Office or Cheers or Monk was much better than learning integration, so I know procrastination doesn't really serve me well. Plus with Ninjavideo down, I don't think I'll be watching as much TV anyway

Haha, well procrastination only works if you're the type of person who can buckle down and learn a course in 4 days. This only works with certain courses though, and you're always risking blanking on the final or the midterm, or whatever .. but hey, whatever works, right?
Dance classes are probably the least of your worries. I'd probably advise that you DON'T cut that out seeing as physical activity will be quite necessary after some of your days in Chem Bio. Volunteering is also important, and CA-ing as well.. I'd say to minimize your volunteering though (like, don't be volunteering excessively, you're already CA-ing). The lab job, though it would be really good prep for the lab course (depending on who you work for of course!) may be a little distracting. I know because I'm working in a lab this summer. You reach the point where you get personally offended if the protein you're working with is not co-operating, etc. LOL yoga/meditation may be required to help de-stress..

I'm glad to hear your health problems are gone from last year though! Just remember that stress/lack of sleep can bring about problems which you thought were already gone.. so really take care of yourself this year. At the end of the day, your health is the only thing that matters.. no grade or commitment is more important than that.

Also, your timetables are similar to mine from first year.. though I took English, Bio, Chem, Physics (1B03 and 1BB3), and Math during my first year (both semesters were the same courses.. but different course codes..). You'll find that this year you'll have to do a lot more work OUTSIDE of the classroom. So the schedule really isn't reflective of anything at all! Though it is nice to have all the classes grouped together, so that you can just focus on doing work throughout the rest of the day!

if anyone\s selling their old second yr chem bio books, leave me a msg at
im looking for
chem bio 2AA3,2P03,2Q03,20A3,2 L03,2OB3
biochem:2B03,2BB3

2Q03 and 2L03 do not have textbooks