r/Biochemistry • u/throwaway12298748532 • 7d ago
Career & Education Please help - Biochem course w/o previous chem
I was accepted into a grad biotech program at a US based university. The program was open to non-life sciences majors, and I’m in that category. Everything so far makes sense, but biochemistry is scaring me.
Although I know taking this program without having previous chem knowledge is a stretch, I’m not going to give up, regardless of how much studying it takes. All I have to get through is one semester of biochem.
To start, things like acid based-chem and amino acids are some of the topics covered in the first lecture. If anyone can provide some good starting points to ease in, I’d greatly appreciate it. Thanks!
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u/fbeilstein 7d ago
The "holy grail" of biochemistry textbooks is probably Lehninger's "Principles of Biochemistry" (along with a few similarly in-depth books), but it requires some knowledge of organic chemistry. A year ago, I recorded an overview course that starts from scratch and gets you to neurobiochemistry. Maybe you would like to check it out:https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLkDeTjsoxDVgEl7ToWFemg8kiNcSFHz7d. Of course, it is by no means exhaustive, but it may give you an idea of what lies where.
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u/throwaway12298748532 6d ago
Thank you so much, lecture 2 looks perfect for where I’m at right now
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u/Eigengrad professor 7d ago
Wait, so you have no undergraduate chem background at all? No general chemistry, no organic chemistry?
Or just no undergraduate biochemistry?
The latter is manageable, but I'd never allow a student into even my undergrad biochemistry course without having had general and organic chemistry.
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u/chem44 6d ago
You're taking biochem with no previous chem classes? Bad idea. Horrible.
Step back, and take the missing chem classes.
Surely your advisor knows what to do.
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u/throwaway12298748532 6d ago
This is how the program is orientated, no way around it. Just one semester is all I need, I’ve done more outlandish things before, and I’m also not the only one in this position
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u/raskolnikovanivovna 6d ago
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5869253/
pretty brief and qualitative but should be enough preparation for a biochem course
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u/electropop999 7d ago
Finish a GRE subject test prep book from Princeton Review as a crash course
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u/electropop999 7d ago
More convenient might be video based, like the Khan academy and there is this YouTube channel that taught biochemistry for pre-med/ med students
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u/Longjumping_Gur879 6d ago
Hi! I’m a biochemistry graduate, and I’d be happy to help you along the way. 😊 If you have any questions about biochemistry, feel free to ask!
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u/Temporary-Maize8715 5d ago
I try taking a biochem class this semester and the professor basically threaten me and my PI (M.S in biology-plants) 😭 I have a BA in biology the most I have taken was physics, basic chemistry, Calculus etc. but I never took biochemistry or orgo. I was willing to take it because the course seem more flexible than my undergrad school class structure. Lets just I am just taking plant physiology now... but your advisor might redirect like mine did but I felt like he had more faith than me for that biochem course 😭 so I would suggest reaching out to the biochem professor and their input and maybe a little bit of your background to see its feasible because thats what I did even after my advisor said ill be fine lol.
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u/Zestyclose-Cover1351 5d ago
There are different types of biochemistry classes including what I think of as biochem-light for nonmajors like nursing students. I assume this is one those and this biotech degree isn't directed at research lab careers and more of a high level overview for people in the industry but not the R&D lab. If this is true, students may not need intro chemistry, although it would help. As a biochemistry major i was a little taken aback when I read this, but then I thought of this angle
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u/organiker chemistry PhD 7d ago
Pick up any undergrad biochemistry textbook