Chemical Ecology and Evolution

Catalog description

In this course, students will explore the role of natural compounds in the ecology and evolution of species. The material is organized into four sections, each reflecting a specific biological function: attack (e.g., venoms), defense (e.g., poisons), communication (e.g., pheromones), and protection from environmental factors. The course also presents cutting-edge approaches to studying chemical ecology, including transcriptomics, metabolomics, CRISPR, machine learning, and advance mass spectrometry. Additionally, it delves into practical applications of these concepts in fields such as medicine and engineering and their ethical implications with regard to ancestral and patrimonial knowledge. Prerequisites: BIOL 351, BIOL 355. Offered spring only.