Program Overview
Molecular Pharmacology (PHAR0011)
Key Information
- Faculty: Faculty of Life Sciences
- Teaching department: Division of Biosciences
- Credit value: 15
- Restrictions: Prerequisites for UCL undergraduates are: either 2nd year Pharmacology (PHAR0004/7/9) or equivalent or MBBS years 1&2.
Alternative Credit Options
There are no alternative credit options available for this module.
Description
Molecular Pharmacology is designed to provide core material on the structure and function of neurotransmitter and hormone receptors and the quantitative aspects of the action of drugs at these receptors. The molecular nature of receptors is considered in detail. Starting from the physical chemical principles which underlie drug-receptor interactions, a critical and quantitative approach to the analysis and interpretation of pharmacological data is developed.
Formal lectures will be supplemented by tutorials/workshops to support learning for a radioligand binding data analysis assignment and (for Level-7 students) an exercise on computer-aided structural analysis.
On completion of the module, students should be able to:
- Use the Law of Mass Action to quantify the interaction of drugs and receptors.
- Understand the action of agonists, antagonists and allosteric modulator drugs and the concept of efficacy.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of ion channel receptor function, regulation and block.
- Demonstrate advanced knowledge of the structure and function of selected transporters, ion channel receptors and G protein-coupled receptors.
- Demonstrate understanding of the quantitative analysis of ligand binding.
The module is a core module for BSc/MSci Pharmacology students and an option for Natural Sciences, Neuroscience, Biomedical Sciences students and for students in related degree programmes (including affiliate students). It is assumed that students taking the module will have studied aspects of physiology and biochemistry for at least two years at University level.
Indicative Lecture List (based on 2025/26 syllabus)
- Course Introduction: Receptors, early ideas, concentration-response curves
- Efficacy, partial agonists
- Agonist efficacy - meaning and measurement; Agonist efficacy - single receptor molecule concepts
- Constitutively active receptors
- Competitive antagonism
- Non-competitive and irreversible antagonism
- Introduction to computer-aided structural analysis
- Molecular dynamics in drug discovery
- Radioligand binding: theory and practical aspects
- Structure-function relations among ligand-gated ion channel receptors
- Structure-function relations among G protein coupled receptors
- New pharmacology: Gene therapy for epilepsy
- Enzymes; druggable vs undruggable; New drug classes - protacs, siRNA
- Molecular mechanism of CFTR and ABC transporters
- High throughput assays and their statistical analysis
- Principles of the rates of drug action: the rate at which equilibrium is approached; rates of antagonist action (with brief introduction to calculus)
- Principles of in vivo drug binding: PET and SPECT
- Algebra revision: deriving Hill-Langmuir, Gaddum and Schild equations
- Non-linear curve fitting workshop
Module Deliveries for 2026/27 Academic Year
Intended Teaching Term: Term 1 - Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 6)
Teaching and Assessment
- Mode of study: In person
- Methods of assessment:
- 75% Exam
- 25% Coursework (2 assessments)
- Mark scheme: Numeric Marks
Other Information
- Number of students on module in previous year: 68
- Module leader: Dr Guy Moss
Intended Teaching Term: Term 1 - Postgraduate (FHEQ Level 7)
Teaching and Assessment
- Mode of study: In person
- Methods of assessment:
- 75% Exam
- 25% Coursework
- Mark scheme: Numeric Marks
Other Information
- Number of students on module in previous year: 1
- Module leader: Dr Guy Moss
Intended Teaching Term: Term 1 - Undergraduate (FHEQ Level 7)
Teaching and Assessment
- Mode of study: In person
- Methods of assessment:
- 75% Exam
- 25% Coursework (2 assessments)
- Mark scheme: Numeric Marks
Other Information
- Number of students on module in previous year: 0
- Module leader: Dr Guy Moss
Last Updated
This module description was last updated on 10th March 2026.