Macromoleucalar Chemistry - Specialization

 

Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials

Macromolecules are large synthetic and biological molecules formed by chemically bonding numerous smaller units called monomers. Examples include proteins, polysaccharides, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), and synthetic polymers.

The unique properties of macromolecules make them vital in biological systems and industrial applications such as medicine, pharmacy, food science, biotechnology, coatings as well as in advanced materials and products with special functions, including soft materials like plastics, elastomers, and composites.

Students specializing in Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials will explore the preparation, characterization, and functionalization of macromolecules, gaining deep insights into their structure, properties, and molecular interactions. This knowledge is crucial for advancements in materials science, biotechnology, and life sciences, leading to innovative solutions in industry, environmental sustainability, and beyond.

Topics included in the specialization cover broadly the chemistry and engineering of macromolecules with particular focus on polymers and proteins:

  • Synthesis of polymers with specific structural and chemical functionality, including their application in soft materials.
  • Linking chemical composition or physical structure (macro or nano-scale patterning and functionality) to properties such as, e.g. mechanical, thermal, and surface properties.
  • Formulation, compounding, and processing of materials including enzymes, plastics, blends, elastomers, and composites to design their physical and chemical properties as well as lifetime.
  • Enzyme kinetics, mechanisms, regulation, inhibition, and applications in industry.
  • Principles for separation, purification, and characterization of macromolecules and soft materials such as HPLC, SEC, MS, Rheology, NMR, DSC, and X-ray crystallography.
  • Macromolecules’ application in drug delivery system.
  • Application of computational techniques to study synthetic and biological macromolecules.

To complete the speicialization, the student must fulfil the following requirements:

  • Have passed Polytechnical foundation courses adding up to at least 10 ECTS
  • Have passed Programme specific courses adding up to at least 50 ECTS
  • Have performed a Master Thesis of at least 30 ECTS within Macromolecular Chemistry and Materials
  • Have passed a sufficient number of Elective courses to bring the total number of ECTS of the entire study to 120 ECTS

Mandatory course

All mandatory courses under the polytechnic foundation and programme specific courses in the curriculum must be completed, in addition, the following must be fulfilled:

The following courses are mandatory for the specialization:

26317 Instrumental Chemical Analysis 5 point Spring F2B (Thurs 8-12)
28212 Polymer Chemistry 5 point Spring F3A (Tues 8-12)

Choose at least 25 ECTS among the following courses:

02452 Machine Learning 5 point Autumn E4A (Tues 13-17)
22281 Biomaterials 5 point Spring F3B (Fri 13-17)
22508 Practical NMR spectroscopy: Making reactions in (bio)chemistry visible 5 point June
26241 Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics 5 point Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17)
26325 Chromatographic (HPLC) Purification of Biological Macromolecules 5 point June
26438 NMR Spectroscopy 5 point Autumn E4B (Fri 8-12)
27325 Advanced protein structure engineering and analysis 5 point Spring F2A (Mon 13-17)
27666 AI-guided Protein Science: From Design to Engineering 5 point June
28213 Polymer Technology 5 point Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12)
28214 Polymer synthesis and characterization 5 point June
28316 Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface Chemistry 5 point January
28855 Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality in pharmaceutical, biotech and food industry - Theoretical version 5 point Spring F1B (Thurs 13-17)
or
28857 Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality in pharmaceutical, biotech and food industry - Practical version 7.5 point Autumn E1B (Thurs 13-17) and Autumn E3B (Fri 13-17)

Elective Courses

The following courses are proposals for the specialization:

02411 Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments 5 point Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17), Spring F1A (Mon 8-12)
12772 Life Cycle Assessment of Products and Systems 10 point Autumn E1 (Mon 8-12, Thurs 13-17)
22117 Protein structure and computational biology 5 point Spring F5A (Wed 8-12)
22235 Drug delivery 5 point Spring F5B (Wed 13-17)
22237 Preclinical drug development 5 point Autumn E5A (Wed 8-12)
22508 Practical NMR spectroscopy: Making reactions in (bio)chemistry visible 5 point June
23522 Rheology of food and biological materials 5 point January
27101 Assay Technology 5 point June
27246 Applied enzyme technology and kinetics 5 point E7 (Tues 18-22)
27330 Quantitative analysis and modeling in protein science 5 point Spring F3B (Fri 13-17)
27423 Metabolomics and proteomics 5 point Autumn E3A (Tues 8-12)
28216 Organic Coatings Science and Technology 5 point Spring F4A (Tues 13-17)
28434 Membrane Technology 5 point Spring F1A (Mon 8-12)
28530 Transport Processes 10 point Autumn E5 (Wed 8-17)
28811 Polymers in processes and products 5 point August
41737 Design of plastic products 5 point Spring F1A (Mon 8-12)
41739 Experimental plastic and metal processing technology 5 point June
46420 Composite Materials and Fibres 5 point Autumn E2A (Mon 13-17)

Autumn start - proposed study line with focus on polymers 

Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
26433
Organic Chemistry 3
5 point
28213
Polymer Technology
5 point
28315
Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
12105
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
46420
Composite Materials and Fibres
5 point
28316
Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface... Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
2.Semester
26317
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
28212
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
22281
Biomaterials
5 point
Electives
Elective
Shared
28214
Polymer synthesis and characterization
5 point
42504
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
3.Semester
26438
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
28311
Chemical and Biochemical Product Design
5 point
12772
Life Cycle Assessment of Products and Systems
10 point
Electives
Elective
5 point
23522
Rheology of food and biological... Rheology of food and biological materials
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis
Master's thesis
30 point

Autumn start - proposed study line with focus on proteins 

Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
26134
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic... Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry 3)
5 point
02452
Machine Learning
5 point
26241
Applied Pharmacokinetics and... Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
5 point
02411
Statistical Design and Analysis of... Statistical Design and Analysis of Experiments
5 point
Electives
Elective
Shared
42500
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
2.Semester
26317
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
28212
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
28855
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and... Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality in pharmaceutical, biotech and food industry - Theoretical version
5 point
27325
Advanced protein structure engineering... Advanced protein structure engineering and analysis
5 point
Electives
Elective
Shared
26325
Chromatographic (HPLC) Purification of... Chromatographic (HPLC) Purification of Biological Macromolecules
5 point
3.Semester
28315
Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
12105
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
26422
Biomolecular Chemistry
5 point
28485
Biobusiness and Process Innovation
5 point
Electives
Elective
5 point
Electives
Elective
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis
Master's thesis
30 point

Spring start - proposed study line with focos on polymers

Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
26231
Physical Chemistry 3
5 point
26317
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
22281
Biomaterials
5 point
28434
Membrane Technology
5 point
22508
Practical NMR spectroscopy: Making... Practical NMR spectroscopy: Making reactions in (bio)chemistry visible
5 point
42504
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
2.Semester
26438
NMR Spectroscopy
5 point
28213
Polymer Technology
5 point
28315
Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
28311
Chemical and Biochemical Product Design
5 point
Electives
Elective
Shared
28316
Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface... Laboratory Course in Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
3.Semester
28212
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
28216
Organic Coatings Science and Technology
5 point
41737
Design of plastic products
5 point
12100
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
Electives
Electives
5 point
28214
Polymer synthesis and characterization
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis
Master's thesis
30 point

Spring start - proposed study line with focos on proteins

Polytechnical foundation
Programme specific courses
Thesis
Electives
1.Semester
27325
Advanced protein structure engineering... Advanced protein structure engineering and analysis
5 point
26317
Instrumental Chemical Analysis
5 point
28855
Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and... Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) and quality in pharmaceutical, biotech and food industry - Theoretical version
5 point
Electives
Elective
Shared
Electives
Elective
Shared
26325
Chromatographic (HPLC) Purification of... Chromatographic (HPLC) Purification of Biological Macromolecules
5 point
2.Semester
28315
Applied Colloid and Surface Chemistry
5 point
26134
Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic... Advanced Inorganic Chemistry (Inorganic Chemistry 3)
5 point
26422
Biomolecular Chemistry
5 point
26241
Applied Pharmacokinetics and... Applied Pharmacokinetics and Pharmacodynamics
5 point
02452
Machine Learning
5 point
42500
Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical... Innovation in Engineering (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
3.Semester
28212
Polymer Chemistry
5 point
12100
Quantitative methods to assess... Quantitative methods to assess sustainability (Polytechnical Foundation)
5 point
22117
Protein structure and computational... Protein structure and computational biology
5 point
27330
Quantitative analysis and modeling in... Quantitative analysis and modeling in protein science
5 point
Electives
Elective
5 point
26620
Chemistry and Innovation
5 point
4.Semester
Thesis
Master's thesis
30 point

Specializations are merely recommended ways of choosing the courses in the curriculum. Applicants are not admitted to a specialization but to the programme and it is possible to choose among all the courses in the curriculum following the directions given. However, if a specialization has been fulfilled the title of the specialization may be added to the diploma.